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Boracay vs Pattaya cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Boracay
๐น๐ญ Pattaya
At a glance
- Where Pattaya is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (64%โ), Taxi (43%โ), Bottled water (42%โ)
- Where Boracay is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (65%โ), Transit (57%โ), Half-day tour (57%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Boracay 3 vs Pattaya 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Boracay | Pattaya | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 300$5.26 | เธฟ 120$3.64 | Pattaya โ31% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 90$1.58 | เธฟ 60$1.82 | Boracay โ13% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 700$12.3 | เธฟ 500$15.2 | Boracay โ19% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 170$2.98 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Pattaya โ29% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 100$1.75 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Boracay โ28% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Boracay โ28% |
| Bottled water | โฑ 30$0.53 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Pattaya โ42% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 50$0.88 | เธฟ 20$0.61 | Pattaya โ31% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 200$3.51 | เธฟ 66$2 | Pattaya โ43% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 120$2.11 | เธฟ 60$1.82 | Pattaya โ14% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 25$0.44 | เธฟ 34$1.03 | Boracay โ57% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 1,200$21.1 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Pattaya โ64% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | เธฟ 1,300$39.4 | Pattaya โ36% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 20,000$351 | เธฟ 14,000$424 | Boracay โ17% |
| Laundry | โฑ 70$1.23 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 300$5.26 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Boracay โ42% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 200$3.51 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Boracay โ23% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 600$10.5 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Pattaya โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 900$15.8 | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | Boracay โ57% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 300$5.26 | เธฟ 500$15.2 | Boracay โ65% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Boracay or Pattaya?
Pattaya is 11% cheaper than Boracay. Daily budget $105 vs $77.3; a month $1,626 vs $1,714.
Which is easier to travel, Boracay or Pattaya?
About the same: Boracay 2.6/5, Pattaya 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Boracay and Pattaya?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Boracay is about $1,626 and Pattaya about $1,714 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.