Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubon Ratchathani and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ubon Ratchathani
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Ubon Ratchathani Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$781

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani and in Koh Phangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan.

Ubon Ratchathani $781
Koh Phangan $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,693 in Koh Phangan.

Ubon Ratchathani $1,444
Koh Phangan $1,693

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $2,361 in Koh Phangan.

Ubon Ratchathani $2,106
Koh Phangan $2,361

Living in Ubon Ratchathani costs roughly 24% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower, Koh Phangan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿156

$3.97 ฿133

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.60 ฿689

$29.08 ฿972

-29.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 ฿248

$7.90 ฿264

-6.20%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.53 ฿84.5

-28.46%

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

$1.30 ฿43.60

$0.87 ฿28.98

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.99

$0.42 ฿13.98

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.21 ฿73.9

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ฿121

$3.45 ฿115

4.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$1.58 ฿52.9

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.84

$1.39 ฿46.52

5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.15

$1.50 ฿50.0

-8.00%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.05 ฿68.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.08 ฿571

$18.33 ฿613

-6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.31 ฿111

-29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ฿368

$10.35 ฿346

6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ฿99.9

$2.81 ฿93.9

6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.59

$1.66 ฿55.3

-39.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.2

$2.11 ฿70.4

0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$2.05 ฿68.5

0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 ฿47.54

$1.46 ฿48.81

-2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.58

$1.32 ฿44.04

-19.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.06 ฿35.46

5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.51

$0.52 ฿17.45

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿142

$4.20 ฿140

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 ฿453

$17.36 ฿580

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.76 ฿58.7

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.67 ฿89.4

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.51

$2.06 ฿68.9

-58.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.40

$2.64 ฿88.3

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$0.92 ฿30.81

13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 ฿219

$3.47 ฿116

89.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿40.86

$1.32 ฿44.17

-7.58%

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

$28.1K ฿939.2K

$23.8K ฿796.2K

17.95%

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

$31.4K ฿1.1M

$24.5K ฿818.5K

28.32%

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

$81.4 ฿2,719

$98.4 ฿3,287

-17.30%

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

$12.16 ฿407

$11.11 ฿371

9.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.40 ฿481

$16.91 ฿565

-14.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 ฿1,603

$52.8 ฿1,764

-9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.14 ฿439

$10.82 ฿362

21.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ฿224

$7.69 ฿257

-12.87%

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

$497 ฿16.6K

$560 ฿18.7K

-11.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿413.4K

$11.7K ฿391.0K

5.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ฿1,885

$63.7 ฿2,129

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.54 ฿954

$28.59 ฿955

-0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 ฿2,847

$95.9 ฿3,205

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 ฿2,534

$86.9 ฿2,905

-12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,843

$509 ฿17.0K

-53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 ฿4,785

$326 ฿10.9K

-56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 ฿35.1K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

-28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ฿24.2K

$833 ฿27.8K

-13.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,509 ฿83.9K

-16.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,243 ฿41.5K

$1,781 ฿59.5K

-30.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ฿11.8K

$713 ฿23.8K

-50.40%

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 Ubon Ratchathani: 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

Ubon Ratchathani

$240 30.8%

Koh Phangan

$256 25% 6.4% $15

Accommodation & Living

Ubon Ratchathani

$143 18.3%

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8% 128% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Ubon Ratchathani

$111 14.2%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1% 11.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8%

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3% 17.1% $18

Eating Out

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6% 1% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ubon Ratchathani

$61 7.9%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 11.1% $6.8

Getting Around

Ubon Ratchathani

$9.8 * 1.3%

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5% 57.7% $5.7

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 $235 in Ubon Ratchathani and $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 102% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani vs $29.00 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $256 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Ubon Ratchathani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,977

💱 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

Ubon Ratchathani Koh Phangan 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubon Ratchathani
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

Ubon Ratchathani vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubon Ratchathani and Koh Phangan differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($781 vs $1,024 including rent). Ubon Ratchathani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Koh Phangan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $235 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $781 per month in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani 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, Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.