Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $1,041 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,041

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani and in Pattaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $775 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,041 in Pattaya, rent included.

Surat Thani $775
Pattaya $1,041

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,665 in Pattaya, rent included.

Surat Thani $1,414
Pattaya $1,665

A family of three spends $2,053 per month in Surat Thani vs $2,288 in Pattaya, rent included.

Surat Thani $2,053
Pattaya $2,288

Surat Thani is about 26% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surat Thani and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Surat Thani 43% lower, Pattaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ฿63.0

$3.37 ฿113

-43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 ฿597

$35.40 ฿1,183

-49.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ฿151

$8.86 ฿296

-49.10%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.06 ฿68.7

-27.18%

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

$0.50 ฿16.68

$0.71 ฿23.64

-29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.66

$0.31 ฿10.40

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿85.4

$2.36 ฿78.9

8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ฿123

$2.64 ฿88.1

39.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.78 ฿59.6

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ฿39.89

$1.46 ฿48.90

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.13

$1.40 ฿46.70

-16.43%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.4

$2.19 ฿73.2

-14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 ฿641

$15.22 ฿509

26.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ฿111

$2.61 ฿87.2

27.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 ฿249

$10.15 ฿339

-26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.2

$3.43 ฿114

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.22 ฿40.71

37.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$1.88 ฿62.7

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.98 ฿66.2

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.57

$1.20 ฿40.24

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.90

$1.03 ฿34.43

33.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.24

$1.26 ฿42.21

-11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.66

$0.45 ฿14.97

-8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ฿103

$4.42 ฿148

-30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿630

$18.04 ฿603

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ฿51.6

$1.76 ฿58.8

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.99 ฿100

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.00

$0.63 ฿20.89

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 ฿700

$19.40 ฿648

7.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.50

$1.30 ฿43.48

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿21.05

$1.13 ฿37.63

-44.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ฿117

$3.55 ฿119

-1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.93

$1.48 ฿49.47

-21.62%

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

$26.6K ฿890.1K

$46.4K ฿1.5M

-42.54%

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

$27.3K ฿911.7K

$26.3K ฿878.9K

3.72%

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

$72.9 ฿2,437

$93.7 ฿3,132

-22.20%

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

$11.12 ฿372

$11.55 ฿386

-3.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 ฿579

$19.15 ฿640

-9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 ฿1,612

$41.86 ฿1,399

15.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿385

$21.27 ฿711

-45.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$7.64 ฿255

-40.71%

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

$549 ฿18.3K

$613 ฿20.5K

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿386.5K

$14.4K ฿480.0K

-19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,070

$51.3 ฿1,714

20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 ฿974

$29.14 ฿974

0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ฿3,252

$94.6 ฿3,160

2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,892

$75.0 ฿2,507

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,910

$564 ฿18.8K

-58.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ฿4,985

$374 ฿12.5K

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ฿38.4K

$1,521 ฿50.8K

-24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ฿23.7K

$791 ฿26.4K

-10.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ฿74.4K

$2,560 ฿85.6K

-13.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$1,428 ฿47.7K

-1.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 ฿15.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.96

-6.54%

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

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$244 31.5%

Pattaya

$245 23.5% 0.2% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$149 19.3%

Pattaya

$374 35.9% 151% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$124 16%

Pattaya

$113 10.8% 9.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$101 13.1%

Pattaya

$124 12% 22.8% $23

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$70 9%

Pattaya

$99 9.5% 42.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.4%

Pattaya

$57 5.5% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$29 3.8%

Pattaya

$29 2.8% 1.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Surat Thani versus $564 in Pattaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani versus $35.00 in Pattaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $245 – making Surat Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

Same time as Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

119,532

💱 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 Pattaya 460 km

From you

Surat Thani
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

Surat Thani vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 34% more than Surat Thani, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,163 per month in Surat Thani and $1,562 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani and $35.00 in Pattaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $775 in Surat Thani and $1,041 in Pattaya. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Pattaya at $1,041. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pattaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surat Thani costs $775 versus $1,041 in Pattaya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Surat Thani. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pattaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.