Ko Tao at a glance
- Ko Tao ranks 13th of 27 priced cities in Thailand on cost: $573 a month in essentials, 49% above Udon Thani, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $494 covers that 0.9×.
- PM2.5 averages 10.3 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 27 Thailand cities we track, so every row says whether Ko Tao is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $573 | $573 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $242 | $242 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $508 | $508 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $98 | $98 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $94 | $94 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $107 | $107 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $32 | $32 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $494 | $494 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $548 | $548 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,570 | $1,570 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Ko Tao, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.14 | $3.14 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $31.43 | $31.43 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.03 | $6.03 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.53 | $2.53 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.36 | $2.36 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.92 | $3.92 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.55 | $0.55 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.33 | $0.33 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.72 | $1.72 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.33 | $1.33 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.31 | $1.31 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.29 | $2.29 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.22 | $15.22 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.12 | $3.12 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.46 | $3.46 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.74 | $1.74 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.38 | $1.38 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.47 | $0.47 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $32.32 | $32.32 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.98 | $0.98 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.30 | $1.30 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $89.95 | $89.95 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $16.74 | $16.74 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $13.24 | $13.24 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $52.24 | $52.24 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.55 | $6.55 | same |
How Ko Tao ranks against every city we track
Ko Tao sits ahead of 75% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On safety it is ahead of 67% of 1016. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 33% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Ko Tao sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Ko Tao on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Ko Tao beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Ko Tao in the research deskOr unlock the Thailand deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated