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Koh Phangan vs Pohang cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Koh Phangan
๐ฐ๐ท Pohang
At a glance
- Where Pohang is clearly cheaper: Transit (71%โ), Studio rent (month) (52%โ)
- Where Koh Phangan is clearly cheaper: Laundry (74%โ), Massage (67%โ), SIM card (62%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Pohang is easier to travel (1.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Koh Phangan 3 vs Pohang 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Koh Phangan | Pohang | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 80$2.42 | โฉ 8,500$6.16 | Koh Phangan โ61% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 70$2.12 | โฉ 4,000$2.9 | Koh Phangan โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 350$10.6 | โฉ 20,000$14.5 | Koh Phangan โ27% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 80$2.42 | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | Koh Phangan โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | Koh Phangan โ16% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 200$6.06 | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | Koh Phangan โ16% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โฉ 1,100$0.8 | Koh Phangan โ62% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Koh Phangan โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | โฉ 7,200$5.22 | Pohang โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | Koh Phangan โ7% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 1,200$0.87 | Pohang โ71% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,500$45.5 | โฉ 80,000$58 | Koh Phangan โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 20,000$606 | โฉ 400,000$290 | Pohang โ52% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โฉ 8,000$5.8 | Koh Phangan โ74% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 300$9.09 | โฉ 33,000$23.9 | Koh Phangan โ62% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฉ 12,000$8.7 | Koh Phangan โ48% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | โฉ 45,000$32.6 | Koh Phangan โ67% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | โฉ 50,000$36.2 | Koh Phangan โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | Koh Phangan โ44% |
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 Phangan or Pohang?
Koh Phangan and Pohang cost about the same. Daily budget $85.4 vs $112; a month $2,208 vs $1,593.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Phangan or Pohang?
Pohang is easier: Pohang 1.8/5 vs Koh Phangan 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Phangan and Pohang?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Phangan is about $2,208 and Pohang about $1,593 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.