Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songkhla and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $837 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pattaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Songkhla, Thailand
Pattaya, Thailand
Songkhla
🇹🇭 Thailand
$837
/mo nomad
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,055
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Songkhla and in Pattaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Songkhla and in Pattaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $837 per month in Songkhla vs $1,055 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Songkhla $837
  • Pattaya $1,055

A couple spends around $1,340 per month in Songkhla vs $1,734 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Songkhla $1,340
  • Pattaya $1,734

A family of three spends $1,844 per month in Songkhla vs $2,414 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Songkhla $1,844
  • Pattaya $2,414

Songkhla is about 21% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Songkhla and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Songkhla 39% lower, Pattaya 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.76 ฿59.4
$3.04 ฿102
-42.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.63 ฿830
$32.70 ฿1,102
-24.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.69 ฿158
$8.67 ฿292
-45.91%
Cappuccino
$1.63 ฿54.8
$1.96 ฿66.2
-16.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ฿22.61
$0.66 ฿22.33
1.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 ฿8.47
$0.29 ฿9.63
-13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.75 ฿58.9
$2.38 ฿80.3
-26.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 ฿160
$2.65 ฿89.3
79.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ฿53.7
$1.70 ฿57.3
-6.47%
White Bread (500g)
$0.85 ฿28.79
$1.46 ฿49.22
-41.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 ฿55.3
$1.41 ฿47.49
16.31%
Eggs
$1.38 ฿46.58
$2.17 ฿73.3
-36.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.82 ฿567
$15.25 ฿514
10.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.69 ฿90.6
$2.55 ฿86.1
5.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.44 ฿352
$9.97 ฿336
4.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 ฿96.3
$3.38 ฿114
-15.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 ฿56.3
$1.24 ฿41.81
34.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.21 ฿74.3
$1.86 ฿62.7
18.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 ฿42.32
$1.87 ฿63.1
-32.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 ฿49.66
$1.18 ฿39.85
24.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.06 ฿35.86
60.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 ฿37.39
$1.22 ฿41.23
-9.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ฿30.51
$0.48 ฿16.04
89.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25 ฿143
$4.33 ฿146
-1.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.46 ฿453
$17.95 ฿605
-25.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 ฿52.2
$1.70 ฿57.1
-8.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 ฿155
$3.00 ฿101
53.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.88
$0.53 ฿17.88
62.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.7 ฿2,045
$19.62 ฿661
209.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.77
$1.30 ฿43.81
-6.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 ฿25.51
$1.07 ฿36.19
-28.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.84 ฿197
$3.60 ฿121
62.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ฿40.92
$1.47 ฿49.66
-17.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿887.7K
$45.4K ฿1.5M
-42.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K ฿1.1M
$26.8K ฿903.7K
16.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.3 ฿2,873
$93.5 ฿3,152
-8.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.64 ฿426
$11.55 ฿389
9.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.03 ฿608
$19.11 ฿644
-5.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.35 ฿1,629
$42.49 ฿1,432
13.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.08 ฿441
$20.52 ฿692
-36.26%
Cinema Ticket
$5.91 ฿199
$7.49 ฿252
-21.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$571 ฿19.2K
$623 ฿21.0K
-8.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K ฿372.1K
$14.2K ฿477.6K
-22.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 ฿1,741
$51.1 ฿1,720
1.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.14 ฿982
$29.47 ฿993
-1.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.7 ฿2,586
$92.5 ฿3,118
-17.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 ฿2,602
$76.1 ฿2,563
1.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 ฿8,043
$618 ฿20.8K
-61.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 ฿6,009
$396 ฿13.3K
-54.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$592 ฿19.9K
$1,655 ฿55.8K
-64.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$412 ฿13.9K
$948 ฿32.0K
-56.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,933 ฿65.1K
$2,807 ฿94.6K
-31.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,456 ฿49.1K
$1,808 ฿60.9K
-19.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Songkhla
Pattaya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$801 ฿27.0K
$456 ฿15.4K
75.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.33
5.96
56.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Songkhla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Songkhla
$238
Pattaya
$242 1.7% $4
Accommodation & Living
Songkhla
$178
Pattaya
$396 122% $217
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Songkhla
$116
Pattaya
$124 7.1% $8.3
Clothing & Footwear
Songkhla
$106
Pattaya
$112 6.1% $6.5
Eating Out
Songkhla
$70
Pattaya
$95 36.3% $25
Getting Around
Songkhla
$69
Pattaya
$28 58.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Songkhla
$60
Pattaya
$57 4.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Songkhla versus $618 in Pattaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Songkhla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Songkhla versus $33 in Pattaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $242 – making Songkhla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Songkhla
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🕒 Local time
09:13 9:13 AM
09:13 9:13 AM
Same time as Songkhla
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,758
119,532
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Songkhla Pattaya 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Songkhla
  • Pattaya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Songkhla vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Songkhla or Pattaya?
Pattaya costs about 26% more than Songkhla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Songkhla and in Pattaya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,255 per month in Songkhla and $1,583 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Songkhla or Pattaya?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Songkhla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $618 in Pattaya.
How much does it cost to live in Songkhla compared to Pattaya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $837 in Songkhla and $1,055 in Pattaya. That makes Songkhla about 21% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Songkhla and in Pattaya?
Kindergarten costs $571 per month in Songkhla and $623 in Pattaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Songkhla or in Pattaya?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $837 in Songkhla and $1,055 in Pattaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Songkhla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Songkhla compared to Pattaya?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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