Cost of living
Build a realistic monthly budget by lifestyle tier.
Try it free →Read this first: Sukhothai has genuine, community-contributed pricing on Numbeo for food, groceries, transport, utilities and childcare (last updated January 2025, based on very few recent contributors -- treat as indicative). It has no published rent data at all -- every rent field is blank. This guide uses the real Sukhothai figures directly for everything except rent, and for rent benchmarks against Phitsanulok, Sukhothai's nearest larger city, clearly flagged as an estimate rather than a confirmed Sukhothai number.
Food & dining (real Sukhothai data)
| Item | Typical price | Range (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | ฿70 | 50–150 |
| Meal for two, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | ฿650 | 450–1,331 |
| Fast-food combo meal | ฿192.50 | 185–259 |
| Cappuccino | ฿57.33 | 35–90 |
| Domestic draft beer (1 pint) | ฿80 | 50–120 |
Groceries (real Sukhothai data)
| Item | Typical price | Range (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Milk (1 litre) | ฿61.18 | 44–100 |
| White rice (1 lb) | ฿19.69 | 11.34–44.91 |
| Eggs (12, large) | ฿70.12 | 44.80–90 |
| Chicken fillets (1 lb) | ฿42.22 | 27.22–68.04 |
| Bananas (1 lb) | ฿16.13 | 9.07–40 |
Transport, utilities & childcare (real Sukhothai data)
| Item | Typical price | Range (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 litre) | ฿45.68 | 35–52.99 |
| Taxi start fare | ฿40 | 40–100 |
| Basic utilities, ~915 sqft apartment/month | ฿2,176.56 | 1,416.67–3,825 |
| Mobile plan (calls + 10GB+ data) | ฿439 | 300–529 |
| Broadband internet (unlimited, 60Mbps+) | ฿602.07 | 450–850 |
| Private full-day preschool/kindergarten, per child/month | ฿26,302.14 | 19,333–37,390 |
| International primary school, annual tuition per child | ฿488,930 | 350,000–803,400 |
Sukhothai has no BTS, MRT or public transport pass data published -- a motorbike or car is the practical default for most residents, consistent with the Sukhothai hub's transport guidance.
The generic utilities range above is worth pinning down for electricity specifically: Sukhothai is served by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), and for the September–December 2026 billing period the residential rate is a base of about ฿3.78/unit plus an Ft (fuel adjustment) charge of ฿0.1623/unit, averaging roughly ฿3.95/unit before VAT and tiered from about ฿3.25 to ฿4.42/unit by consumption band. This is a national PEA/ERC rate, not a Sukhothai-specific one -- it applies the same way in every province PEA serves (all of Thailand outside Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan) -- but it is the real figure behind the wide "THB 1,500–5,000+" range most guides quote, and it hadn't been named here before. Water and internet costs beyond the Numbeo figures above were checked and not found independently verifiable specifically for Sukhothai, so neither is quoted by a more precise figure.
Where people actually shop (real, named options)
New Sukhothai (Thani) town has no confirmed department store or CentralPlaza/Robinson-style mall -- consistent with the Sukhothai malls & markets guide, whose own research found none. What it does have are three real, address-verified hypermarket and wholesale options:
| Store | Address | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big C Supercenter Sukhothai | 68 Moo 2, Ban Kluai, Mueang Sukhothai 64000 | 055-636-111 | Daily 9am–10pm — the town's main hypermarket for groceries and household goods |
| Lotus's Sukhothai | 55/2 Moo 4, Thani, Mueang Sukhothai 64000 | — | Opened 18 Jul 2024; address confirmed via the Mr. D.I.Y. branch trading inside the same building |
| Makro Sukhothai | 236 Moo 4, Ban Lum, Mueang Sukhothai 64000 | 055-013-130 | Wholesale/cash-and-carry — bulk groceries, produce and household supplies |
For a wider retail mix -- clothing, electronics, a cinema -- residents typically drive to Phitsanulok, about an hour away. For local produce, street food and a genuine evening-out feel rather than errands, the Sukhothai Thani Walking Street Market runs Saturday evenings along the river in the modern town.
Rent (estimated -- no Sukhothai data published)
Every rent field on Sukhothai's cost-of-living data is currently blank. As the closest available comparable, Phitsanulok -- the nearest larger city, about an hour away by road -- has real published rent figures. Sukhothai is smaller and considerably less commercial than Phitsanulok, so treat these as a plausible ceiling rather than a confirmed Sukhothai number.
| Unit type | Sukhothai (published) | Phitsanulok (comparable) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR apartment, city centre | No Sukhothai data published | ฿8,500 | Phitsanulok is a genuinely larger, more commercial city than Sukhothai, so treat this as a ceiling estimate, not a Sukhothai-specific figure |
| 1BR apartment, outside centre | No Sukhothai data published | ฿4,500 (range ฿4,000–5,000) | Same caveat -- Sukhothai's smaller rental market likely runs at or below this level |
| 3BR apartment, city centre | No Sukhothai data published | ฿12,000 | Same caveat |
| 3BR apartment, outside centre | No Sukhothai data published | ฿6,000 | Same caveat |
Why we're hedging on rent specifically
Sukhothai draws a small, heritage-focused long-stay population rather than the resort or nomad crowds that fund detailed cost-of-living coverage in Phuket or Chiang Mai, so major trackers like Numbeo simply haven't collected rent submissions here yet -- even though the same source has real food, grocery and utility data for the town. Rather than inventing a rent figure to complete the picture, this guide uses the closest honestly-comparable city (Phitsanulok) and flags it clearly. As real Sukhothai rent data becomes available, this guide will be updated to cite it directly.
Frequently asked
Is there reliable cost-of-living data for Sukhothai?Partially. Numbeo has genuine, community-contributed pricing for Sukhothai across restaurants, groceries, transport, utilities and childcare (last updated January 2025, though based on very few or zero recent contributors, so treat exact figures as indicative rather than precise). Critically, Sukhothai has no published rent data at all -- every rent field on Numbeo's Sukhothai page is blank. This guide uses the genuine Sukhothai food/utility data directly and clearly flags the rent section as benchmarked against Phitsanulok, the nearest larger city, rather than a verified Sukhothai figure.
How much does it cost to eat out in Sukhothai?Based on real Sukhothai-specific Numbeo data: an inexpensive meal runs about ฿70, a mid-range three-course meal for two around ฿650, and a fast-food combo about ฿192.50 -- broadly in line with other secondary Thai provincial towns.
How much is rent in Sukhothai?Sukhothai has no published rent data on Numbeo or other major cost-of-living trackers as of this research. As the best available comparable, Phitsanulok -- Sukhothai's nearest larger city, about an hour away -- shows a one-bedroom apartment at roughly ฿8,500/month in the city centre and ฿4,500/month outside it. Sukhothai is smaller and less commercial than Phitsanulok, so real Sukhothai rents plausibly sit at or below these figures, but treat this as an estimate, not a confirmed number, until BAANLYY can verify local listings directly.
What's the biggest cost driver in Sukhothai?Housing (where the real figure is unverified) and whether you need a car versus a motorbike. Sukhothai has no BTS, MRT or through rail line, so a motorbike or car is the practical default for most residents and for exploring the historical park, which is otherwise commonly toured by rented bicycle.
How does Sukhothai compare to Chiang Mai for cost of living?Directionally, Sukhothai should run considerably cheaper than Chiang Mai -- it has a far smaller population, a minimal foreign-resident and tourism footprint outside day-trippers to the historical park, and thinner commercial/rental demand. We have not found a verified Sukhothai rent figure to confirm this precisely, so treat the comparison as directional rather than a confirmed statistic.
Where do people actually do their grocery shopping in Sukhothai?New Sukhothai town has three real hypermarket/wholesale options: Big C Supercenter (68 Moo 2, Ban Kluai), Lotus's (55/2 Moo 4, Thani, opened July 2024) and Makro (236 Moo 4, Ban Lum) for bulk buying. There is no confirmed department store or CentralPlaza-style mall in the province -- for clothing, electronics or a wider retail mix, residents typically drive to Phitsanulok, about an hour away, or shop the Saturday-evening Sukhothai Thani Walking Street Market for local goods and food.
What does electricity actually cost in Sukhothai right now?Sukhothai is supplied by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), which for the September–December 2026 billing period charges a base residential rate of about ฿3.78 per unit plus an Ft (fuel adjustment) charge of ฿0.1623 per unit, averaging roughly ฿3.95 per unit before VAT -- tiered from about ฿3.25 to ฿4.42 per unit depending on how much you use. This PEA/ERC rate applies uniformly across every Thai province outside Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, so it is the real number behind the wide 'THB 1,500–5,000+' range most guides quote for a typical household bill.
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Sources & References
- Cost of Living in Sukhothai — Numbeo
- Cost of Living in Phitsanulok — Numbeo
- Big C Supercenter Sukhothai Branch — Thailand YellowPages
- Makro Sukhothai — Makro's own branch contact page
- Lotus's Sukhothai address — Mr. D.I.Y. store-opening announcement (co-located branch)
- National Statistical Office, Thailand
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thailand
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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Last updated 11 September 2026 · Last reviewed 11 September 2026