Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yala and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Yala: $912 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
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Yala Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index

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Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$912

/mo nomad

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $912 per month in Yala vs $1,055 in Pattaya, rent included.

Yala $912
Pattaya $1,055

A couple spends around $1,463 per month in Yala vs $1,734 in Pattaya, rent included.

Yala $1,463
Pattaya $1,734

A family of three spends $2,014 per month in Yala vs $2,414 in Pattaya, rent included.

Yala $2,014
Pattaya $2,414

Yala is about 14% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Yala and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Yala 33% lower, Pattaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.46 ฿49.33

$3.04 ฿103

-51.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.71 ฿834

$32.70 ฿1,104

-24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿253

$8.67 ฿293

-13.61%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.0

$1.96 ฿66.3

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

$0.53 ฿17.92

$0.66 ฿22.37

-19.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ฿5.89

$0.29 ฿9.65

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿71.3

$2.38 ฿80.4

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.65 ฿89.5

10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ฿58.1

$1.70 ฿57.4

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿47.13

$1.46 ฿49.33

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.25

$1.41 ฿47.59

-7.09%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿67.1

$2.17 ฿73.5

-8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.83 ฿568

$15.25 ฿515

10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ฿90.5

$2.55 ฿86.2

5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 ฿348

$9.97 ฿337

3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ฿97.3

$3.38 ฿114

-14.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.53

$1.24 ฿41.89

-15.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.7

$1.86 ฿62.8

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ฿65.6

$1.87 ฿63.2

3.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.3

$1.18 ฿39.93

28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.60

$1.06 ฿35.93

4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.89

$1.22 ฿41.32

-13.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.61

$0.48 ฿16.08

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 ฿145

$4.33 ฿146

-0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 ฿602

$17.95 ฿606

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.9

$1.70 ฿57.3

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿96.6

$3.00 ฿101

-4.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ฿19.61

$0.53 ฿17.92

9.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 ฿662

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.13

$1.30 ฿43.90

-10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 ฿39.60

$1.07 ฿36.27

9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 ฿200

$3.60 ฿122

64.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.48

$1.47 ฿49.76

-4.08%

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

$26.9K ฿909.4K

$45.4K ฿1.5M

-40.71%

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

$26.8K ฿904.6K

$26.8K ฿905.6K

-0.10%

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

$84.3 ฿2,847

$93.5 ฿3,158

-9.84%

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

$12.13 ฿410

$11.55 ฿390

5.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.84 ฿636

$19.11 ฿645

-1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.71 ฿1,611

$42.49 ฿1,435

12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.35 ฿451

$20.52 ฿693

-34.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ฿223

$7.49 ฿253

-11.75%

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

$581 ฿19.6K

$623 ฿21.0K

-6.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ฿366.8K

$14.2K ฿478.6K

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.99 ฿1,688

$51.1 ฿1,724

-2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.59 ฿999

$29.47 ฿995

0.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ฿2,594

$92.5 ฿3,125

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ฿2,541

$76.1 ฿2,568

-1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.8K

$618 ฿20.9K

-29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.1K

$396 ฿13.4K

-24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 ฿38.2K

$1,655 ฿55.9K

-31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 ฿23.1K

$948 ฿32.0K

-27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 ฿64.4K

$2,807 ฿94.8K

-32.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 ฿49.3K

$1,808 ฿61.0K

-19.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 ฿15.4K

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 Yala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yala

$301 32.9%

Pattaya

$396 37.5% 31.7% $95

Groceries & Markets

Yala

$245 26.9%

Pattaya

$242 23% 1.2% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yala

$115 12.6%

Pattaya

$124 11.8% 7.7% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Yala

$104 11.4%

Pattaya

$112 10.6% 7.5% $7.9

Eating Out

Yala

$77 8.4%

Pattaya

$95 9% 23.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Yala

$61 6.7%

Pattaya

$57 5.5% 5.7% $3.5

Getting Around

Yala

$9.4 * 1%

Pattaya

$28 2.7% 204% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $437 in Yala 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Yala versus $33 in Pattaya. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Yala vs $242 in Pattaya – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Yala

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Yala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,617

119,532

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yala Pattaya 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Yala
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

Yala vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 16% more than Yala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Yala and $1,583 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $437 there versus $618 in Pattaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $912 in Yala and $1,055 in Pattaya. That’s a gap of about 16%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Yala and $33 in Pattaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $912 in Yala and $1,055 in Pattaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Yala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.