"How much do I need for a month in Thailand?" is one of the first questions guests ask us. The honest answer depends on the city, the type of home and how you like to live. This guide breaks down the real costs of a monthly stay in Phuket and Pattaya, using our own rates and current 2026 prices.
Everyday prices below come from Numbeo, updated September 2026. Prices change, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote.
1. Rent: your biggest cost
Pattaya condos (monthly, one month minimum)
- Most monthly stays: ฿20,000 to ฿70,000+, depending on the building, size and view.
- Includes: full furnishing, verified high-speed Wi-Fi, weekly housekeeping, and water.
- Security deposit: ฿8,000 (one-bedroom) or ฿12,000 (two-bedroom), returned at the end of your stay minus your final electricity bill.
Phuket villas (nightly to monthly)
- Nightly: usually ฿3,000 to ฿10,000+.
- Monthly: from around ฿55,000 in Chalong, ฿65,000 in Rawai, ฿90,000 in Nai Harn, ฿100,000 in Cherng Talay and ฿150,000 in Bang Tao.
- Includes: weekly villa cleaning, pool and garden cleaning, and free Wi-Fi.
Long-stay and returning guests get better rates in both cities.
2. Utilities
- Pattaya: water is included. Electricity is charged by meter, based on your actual usage, and it depends mostly on how much you use the air-conditioning.
- Phuket: electricity and water are both charged based on your actual usage, so you only pay for what you use.
- Internet: already included in our homes, so there's no need for your own broadband. For comparison, a 60 Mbps+ plan costs about ฿580 to ฿640 a month.
- Mobile phone: a local SIM with 10 GB+ of data costs about ฿370 to ฿390 a month.
Tip: air-conditioning is the biggest part of any electricity bill. Setting it to 25 to 26°C and turning it off when you go out can make a noticeable difference.
3. Food and drink
- Meal at a local restaurant: Phuket ฿150, Pattaya ฿110
- Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant: Phuket ฿1,090, Pattaya ฿1,200
- Cappuccino: Phuket ฿94, Pattaya ฿70
- Local beer (0.5 L): Phuket ฿80, Pattaya ฿80
- Water (1.5 L): Phuket ฿19, Pattaya ฿16
- Chicken fillets (1 kg): Phuket ฿113, Pattaya ฿88
- Eggs (12): Phuket ฿72, Pattaya ฿73
Street food and local restaurants are good value in both cities. Imported groceries and Western restaurants cost noticeably more. Having a full kitchen, which every MonthStayz home has, is one of the easiest ways to keep your monthly budget down.
4. Getting around
- Local transport, one way: Phuket ฿75, Pattaya ฿20
- Taxi, starting fare: Phuket ฿100, Pattaya ฿45
- Petrol (1 L): Phuket ฿48, Pattaya ฿49
Pattaya is more walkable, and its songthaew (shared pickup) rides are cheap. Phuket is spread out, so most long-stay guests rent a scooter or car, or rely on ride-hailing apps.
5. Lifestyle extras
- Gym membership: about ฿1,760 a month in Phuket and ฿1,380 in Pattaya.
- Co-working: many cafés are laptop-friendly, and dedicated co-working spaces offer day passes and monthly memberships.
Sample monthly budgets
These are estimates for a comfortable month, excluding flights and visas.
Solo remote worker, one-bedroom condo in Pattaya
- Rent: ฿20,000 to ฿30,000
- Electricity: based on your usage
- Food (mostly local restaurants, some cooking): ฿10,000 to ฿15,000
- Transport: ฿1,500 to ฿3,000
- Phone and gym: ฿1,800
- Total: around ฿33,000 to ฿50,000, plus electricity based on usage
Couple or family, pool villa in Phuket (Chalong or Rawai)
- Rent: from ฿55,000 to ฿65,000+
- Electricity and water: based on your usage
- Food for 2 to 4 people: ฿20,000 to ฿35,000
- Scooter or car rental and fuel: ฿4,000 to ฿15,000
- Phone and extras: ฿2,000 to ฿4,000
- Total: around ฿81,000 to ฿119,000, plus utilities based on usage
How to make your budget go further
- Stay longer. Monthly and repeat stays get better rates.
- Cook some meals. Every MonthStayz home has a fully equipped kitchen.
- Watch the air-con. It's the biggest part of your electricity bill.
- Pick your area wisely. Chalong and Rawai in Phuket, or Jomtien in Pattaya, offer more everyday value.
Still choosing a city? Read our Phuket vs Pattaya guide. Coming on a DTV visa? See our DTV stay guide.
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