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Koh Lanta vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Koh Lanta
๐ต๐ญ Manila
At a glance
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Transit (86%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (65%โ), Street food (59%โ)
- Where Koh Lanta is clearly cheaper: Convenience store (45%โ), Local meal (38%โ), Bottled water (31%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Manila is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Koh Lanta 3 vs Manila 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Koh Lanta | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Koh Lanta โ38% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 70$2.12 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ59% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 350$10.6 | โฑ 800$14 | Koh Lanta โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 70$2.12 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Koh Lanta โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 90$2.73 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Manila โ23% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 180$5.45 | โฑ 300$5.26 | similar |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Koh Lanta โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 20$0.61 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Koh Lanta โ45% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Manila โ15% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ65% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Manila โ86% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Koh Lanta โ14% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,600$48.5 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Koh Lanta โ21% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 12,000$364 | โฑ 25,000$439 | Koh Lanta โ17% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ31% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 300$9.09 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Manila โ32% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 180$5.45 | โฑ 180$3.16 | Manila โ42% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 300$9.09 | โฑ 500$8.77 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 900$27.3 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Manila โ57% |
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, Koh Lanta or Manila?
Koh Lanta is 15% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $85.8 vs $107; a month $1,540 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Lanta or Manila?
Manila is easier: Manila 2.6/5 vs Koh Lanta 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Lanta and Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Lanta is about $1,540 and Manila about $1,683 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.