Cost of living in Thailand

There is no single honest number for “what Thailand costs.” The ranges below are the lean, mid and premium monthly totals already stored for each city in the same table that powers the city cost comparison. That table copies the budget bands on each city's cost-of-living page. Labels differ. A “solo” band in Bangkok is not the same household as a “lean local single” band in Buriram, and a mid band is a couple only where the label says so. Line items quoted later on this page are the lines already printed inside those totals. They are not added on top, and they are not insurer, landlord or school quotes. The Bangkok-only essay stays at cost of living in Bangkok.

Nine cities, three published totals

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin are the comparison set. Buriram, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) and Hat Yai are four cities whose own pages print lower lean totals than that set. Amounts are Thai baht per month. A trailing plus sign is part of the city page's own display, not a guess added here.

Single, couple, retiree, family

Single. Use the lean column. On the Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket pages the label is Solo digital nomad. Hua Hin says Solo long-stayer (THB 28,000–45,000). Buriram, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima and Hat Yai say Lean / local single. Buriram is the lowest of the nine: THB 9,000–15,000. Phuket is the highest lean band: THB 50,000–75,000.

Couple. Use the mid column only for Bangkok (THB 80,000–120,000), Chiang Mai (THB 55,000–85,000), Pattaya (THB 75,000–120,000), Phuket (THB 90,000–140,000) and Hua Hin (THB 45,000–75,000). Each of those labels is the word Couple. The four lower-cost cities do not label the mid column as a couple.

Retiree. Hua Hin's page prints a fourth sample the three-column table does not carry: Retiree couple, THB 50,000–85,000, with a private health-insurance line for over-60s of THB 10,000–22,000 a month inside that total. Buriram (THB 16,000–27,000), Udon Thani (THB 35,000–55,000) and Nakhon Ratchasima (THB 33,000–52,000) put “or retiree” on the mid label. Hat Yai's mid label is Comfortable / mid-expat only (THB 32,000–52,000). Do not read Hat Yai's mid band as a retiree budget. None of these bands is the bank deposit a retirement visa asks you to show. The lifestyle guide that reuses these same bands is Retire in Thailand.

Family. Use the premium column. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin label it Family of four: THB 180,000–320,000, THB 110,000–220,000, THB 160,000–300,000, THB 190,000–340,000 and THB 100,000–200,000. Buriram, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima and Hat Yai label it Premium / family, and the top of the range is printed with a plus. International-school fees are the swing line on those city pages. This guide does not add school names or a fee that the city page did not already print.

Rent, food, transport, utilities

These are indicative lines already inside the monthly total on that city's page, read from the page on 3 November 2026. They are not a second bill.

Rent, first housing line. Bangkok solo 1-bed THB 16,000–24,000; couple 1–2 bed THB 28,000–48,000; family 2–3 bed THB 45,000–90,000. Chiang Mai solo THB 9,000–16,000; couple THB 15,000–30,000; family house or pool villa THB 25,000–60,000. Pattaya solo THB 13,000–24,000; couple THB 22,000–45,000; family THB 38,000–85,000. Phuket solo THB 16,000–28,000; couple THB 28,000–55,000; family THB 45,000–95,000. Hua Hin solo THB 7,000–14,000; couple THB 14,000–28,000; retiree couple sea-view condo or pool villa THB 16,000–35,000; family house or pool villa THB 25,000–60,000. Lean studios: Buriram THB 1,500–4,200; Udon Thani THB 3,500–9,000; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 3,000–8,000; Hat Yai THB 3,000–9,000. Family housing on those four pages: Buriram THB 6,000–12,000; Udon Thani THB 15,000–25,000; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 12,000–22,000; Hat Yai THB 13,000–25,000.

Food. Bangkok solo THB 12,000–16,000; couple THB 22,000–32,000; family THB 35,000–55,000. Chiang Mai solo THB 8,000–12,000; couple THB 14,000–22,000; family THB 22,000–38,000. Pattaya solo THB 11,000–16,000; couple THB 20,000–32,000; family THB 34,000–52,000. Phuket solo THB 13,000–18,000; couple THB 24,000–36,000; family THB 38,000–58,000. Hua Hin solo THB 7,000–11,000; couple THB 13,000–20,000; retiree couple THB 14,000–22,000; family THB 20,000–36,000. Lean local-food lines: Buriram THB 3,000–5,500; Udon Thani THB 5,000–8,000; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 4,500–7,500; Hat Yai THB 5,000–9,000.

Transport. Bangkok solo BTS/MRT plus Grab THB 2,500–4,000; couple THB 5,000–8,000; family car THB 8,000–15,000. Chiang Mai solo scooter THB 2,800–4,000; couple THB 4,000–8,000; family car THB 6,000–12,000. Pattaya solo scooter THB 3,000–5,000; couple THB 5,000–12,000; family car THB 9,000–16,000. Phuket solo scooter THB 3,500–5,500; couple THB 6,000–14,000; family car THB 9,000–16,000. Hua Hin solo scooter THB 2,800–4,000; couple THB 4,000–8,000; retiree couple car THB 4,000–9,000; family car THB 6,000–12,000. Lean motorbike lines: Buriram THB 1,200–2,200; Udon Thani THB 1,900–3,600; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 1,800–3,400; Hat Yai THB 1,900–3,600.

Utilities, internet and mobiles. Bangkok solo THB 2,500–4,000; couple THB 4,000–6,000; family THB 6,000–9,000. Chiang Mai solo THB 2,000–3,500; couple THB 3,000–5,000; family THB 4,000–7,000. Pattaya solo THB 2,800–4,800; couple THB 4,000–6,500; family THB 6,000–9,500. Phuket solo THB 3,000–5,000; couple THB 4,500–7,000; family THB 6,500–10,000. Hua Hin solo THB 2,200–3,800; couple THB 3,000–5,000; retiree couple THB 3,000–5,500; family THB 4,000–7,000. Lean lines: Buriram THB 1,300–3,000; Udon Thani and Hat Yai THB 1,900–4,000; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 1,700–3,700.

Health insurance inside the city sample, and the visa test beside it

Each city page amortises a sample health-insurance line into the monthly total. That line is not a premium from an insurer, and it is not the benefit floor on a retirement visa. Bangkok prints solo THB 4,000–7,000, couple THB 9,000–16,000, family THB 18,000–35,000. Chiang Mai prints THB 3,000–6,000, THB 7,000–13,000 and THB 14,000–28,000. Pattaya prints THB 4,000–7,000, THB 8,000–15,000 and THB 16,000–32,000. Phuket prints THB 4,000–7,000, THB 9,000–16,000 and THB 18,000–35,000. Hua Hin prints solo THB 3,000–6,000, couple THB 6,000–12,000, over-60s retiree couple THB 10,000–22,000, and family THB 12,000–26,000. Basic cover on the lean pages: Buriram THB 1,500–3,000; Udon Thani and Hat Yai THB 2,500–4,500; Nakhon Ratchasima THB 2,000–4,000. The 30s–40s mid lines on those pages are higher, and the family lines run THB 5,000–13,000 in Buriram, THB 8,000–20,000 in Udon Thani, THB 7,000–18,000 in Nakhon Ratchasima and THB 8,000–20,000 in Hat Yai.

Visa money tests are a different question. They are stated on the DTV guide and the retirement visa guide, which record a 31 October 2026 read of the official pages named here. This guide repeats those figures so a monthly budget is not mistaken for a bank test. It does not open a second reading.

• DTV: a bank statement for the last 3 months with an ending balance of no less than THB 500,000. That wording is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs checklist and the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. It is an ending balance, not a balance the checklist says must have stayed above THB 500,000 for the whole three months. MFA DTV checklist, Washington D.C. embassy.
• Non-Immigrant O-A, for applicants aged 50 or over: a bank deposit of no less than 800,000 baht in the last three months, or monthly income of not less than 65,000 baht, or a combination totalling not less than 800,000 baht in one year. Washington D.C. embassy, Non-OA. Do not use this test for an O-X.
• Non-Immigrant O-X: a fixed deposit of no less than THB 3,000,000 in a Thai bank in Thailand, or no less than THB 1,800,000 together with annual income of no less than THB 1,200,000, with THB 3,000,000 accumulated in the first year. The deposit stays at THB 3,000,000 through the end of year one and not below THB 1,500,000 thereafter. Chicago lists falling through those floors as a ground to revoke the stay. The route is limited to 14 named nationalities. Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago.
• Non-O retirement visa issued abroad is a different product. The Washington page asks for a balance of no less than USD 30,000 for each month, or monthly income of not less than USD 2,500. Washington D.C. embassy, Non-O retirement.
• An in-country retirement extension seasons the deposit for 2 months before a first application and 3 months on renewal. The extension fee in the Immigration Bureau handbook is 1,900 baht. Immigration Bureau public handbook, Police Order 327/2557.
• O-A and O-X health insurance, as a policy benefit rather than a monthly premium: outpatient not less than THB 40,000, inpatient not less than THB 400,000, and Covid-19 cover of not less than THB 3,000,000 or USD 100,000 per policy year. That floor is not the THB 4,000–7,000 sample line on a Bangkok solo budget. Washington D.C. embassy, Non-OX.

Longer stays and the choice of city are covered in retiring in Thailand and on the relocation guides. Build a side-by-side view in the city cost comparison, then open the city page before you treat any band as your budget.