Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surat Thani and in Koh Phangan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $775 in Surat Thani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan.

Surat Thani $775
Koh Phangan $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Surat Thani versus $1,693 in Koh Phangan.

Surat Thani $1,414
Koh Phangan $1,693

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,053 in Surat Thani versus $2,361 in Koh Phangan.

Surat Thani $2,053
Koh Phangan $2,361

Living in Surat Thani costs roughly 24% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surat Thani 43% lower, Koh Phangan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ฿63.0

$3.97 ฿133

-52.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 ฿597

$29.08 ฿972

-38.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ฿151

$7.90 ฿264

-42.91%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.53 ฿84.5

-40.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.68

$0.87 ฿28.98

-42.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.66

$0.42 ฿13.98

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿85.4

$2.21 ฿73.9

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ฿123

$3.45 ฿115

6.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.58 ฿52.9

5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ฿39.89

$1.39 ฿46.52

-14.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.13

$1.50 ฿50.0

-22.00%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.4

$2.05 ฿68.5

-8.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 ฿641

$18.33 ฿613

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ฿111

$3.31 ฿111

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 ฿249

$10.35 ฿346

-28.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.2

$2.81 ฿93.9

3.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.66 ฿55.3

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$2.11 ฿70.4

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.05 ฿68.5

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.57

$1.46 ฿48.81

-10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.90

$1.32 ฿44.04

3.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.24

$1.06 ฿35.46

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.66

$0.52 ฿17.45

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ฿103

$4.20 ฿140

-26.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿630

$17.36 ฿580

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ฿51.6

$1.76 ฿58.7

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.67 ฿89.4

-31.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.00

$2.06 ฿68.9

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 ฿700

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.50

$2.64 ฿88.3

-55.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿21.05

$0.92 ฿30.81

-31.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ฿117

$3.47 ฿116

0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.93

$1.32 ฿44.17

-12.12%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.6K ฿890.1K

$23.8K ฿796.2K

11.78%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.3K ฿911.7K

$24.5K ฿818.5K

11.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$72.9 ฿2,437

$98.4 ฿3,287

-25.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.12 ฿372

$11.11 ฿371

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 ฿579

$16.91 ฿565

2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 ฿1,612

$52.8 ฿1,764

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿385

$10.82 ฿362

6.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$7.69 ฿257

-41.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$549 ฿18.3K

$560 ฿18.7K

-1.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿386.5K

$11.7K ฿391.0K

-1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,070

$63.7 ฿2,129

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 ฿974

$28.59 ฿955

1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ฿3,252

$95.9 ฿3,205

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,892

$86.9 ฿2,905

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,910

$509 ฿17.0K

-53.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ฿4,985

$326 ฿10.9K

-54.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ฿38.4K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

-21.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ฿23.7K

$833 ฿27.8K

-14.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ฿74.4K

$2,509 ฿83.9K

-11.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$1,781 ฿59.5K

-21.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ฿23.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$244 31.5%

Koh Phangan

$256 25% 4.6% $11

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$149 19.3%

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8% 119% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$124 16%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$101 13.1%

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3% 24.7% $25

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$70 9%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6% 55.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.4%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 19% $11

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$29 3.8%

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5% 47.2% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $237 in Surat Thani and $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surat Thani vs $29.00 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $256 per month, with Surat Thani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

Same time as Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Surat Thani Koh Phangan 100 km

From you

Surat Thani
Koh Phangan

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

Surat Thani vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat Thani and Koh Phangan differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($775 vs $1,024 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,163 in Surat Thani and $1,537 in Koh Phangan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $237 in Surat Thani versus $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $775 per month in Surat Thani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $775 in Surat Thani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Surat Thani and Koh Phangan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.