Quick answer
Pattaya costs about 1,000 to 1,500 THB a day on a tight budget, 2,000 to 4,500 THB in mid-range comfort and 5,000 to 10,000 THB with a beachfront hotel, per person. A street meal is 40 to 80 THB, a shared songthaew ride 15 to 20 THB, an hour of Thai massage 250 to 400 THB. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards 220 to 250 THB per withdrawal.
Pattaya is one of the cheaper beach cities in Thailand for the simple reason that it has a huge supply of rooms, restaurants and transport packed between Naklua in the north and Jomtien in the south. Prices rise with every step towards the sand: the same plate of fried rice costs twice as much on Beach Road as it does three streets inland. The figures below are in Thai baht (THB) and reflect what travellers pay in November 2026.
How much does a room cost in Pattaya?
Accommodation is the part of the budget that moves most. Rates are highest from mid-December to February and around Songkran in April, and lowest from May to October, when the same room often sells for a third less. Inland streets such as Soi Buakhao are cheaper than Beach Road, and Jomtien is usually a little cheaper than central Pattaya for the same standard.
| Type of room | Price per night (THB) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 200 to 500 | Shared room, air conditioning, lockers |
| Budget guesthouse or hotel | 500 to 1,000 | Private air-conditioned room, inland streets |
| Mid-range hotel | 1,200 to 2,500 | Pool, breakfast, a short walk from the beach |
| Upscale or beachfront hotel | 3,000 to 8,000 | Sea view, several pools, kids' club or spa |
| Luxury resort or pool villa | 8,000 and up | Wongamat, Pratumnak and Na Jomtien resorts |
Which neighbourhood suits which budget is explained in the best areas to stay in Pattaya. For stays of a month or more, a rented condominium costs far less per night than a hotel: see long-stay condo rental in Pattaya.
What do food and drinks cost?
Eating Thai food where Thai people eat is the biggest saving available. Markets, food courts in the malls and shophouse restaurants serve a full plate for the price of a coffee in a hotel lobby. International restaurants, seafood by weight and imported wine are where a bill climbs. Many sit-down restaurants add a 10 percent service charge and 7 percent VAT, shown on the menu as "++".
| Item | Typical price (THB) |
|---|---|
| Street food dish or noodle soup | 40 to 80 |
| Meal in a simple Thai restaurant | 80 to 150 |
| Main course in a tourist or international restaurant | 150 to 400 |
| Iced coffee or Thai tea from a stall | 35 to 60 |
| Bottle of water, 1.5 litres | 10 to 20 |
| Local beer in a convenience store | 40 to 60 |
| Local beer in a bar or beach restaurant | 100 to 180 |
| Shared songthaew ride | 15 to 20 |
| Bolt or Grab car across town | 60 to 250 |
| Motorbike taxi, short hop | 40 to 80 |
| Thai massage, one hour, street shop | 250 to 400 |
| Tourist SIM card, 8 days | 399 to 499 |
For dishes worth ordering and where the markets are, read what to eat in Pattaya.
How much is transport around the city?
The blue songthaews that loop along Beach Road and Second Road are the cheapest way to move. Since 10 April 2026 the shared fare is 15 THB for rides up to 10 km and 20 THB beyond, the first rise in three decades. You pay the driver when you get off. A songthaew that you hire for yourself is a private charter and costs 100 to 300 THB, so agree the price before you climb in.
Bolt and Grab show the fare in the app before you confirm: 60 to 200 THB on Bolt and 80 to 250 THB on Grab for trips inside the city. Motorbike taxis in coloured vests charge 40 to 80 THB for a short hop. A rented scooter costs 200 to 350 THB a day and requires a motorcycle licence and a helmet.
Routes, stops and airport transfers are detailed in getting around Pattaya.
What do attractions, massages and SIM cards cost?
Beaches, temples, viewpoints and night markets are free. The large paid attractions, such as the big gardens, water parks, cabaret shows and wooden monuments, charge roughly 400 to 1,500 THB per adult, with reduced child tickets usually set by height. Each attraction guide on this site gives the posted ticket price.
Massage is the bargain of the city. An hour of Thai or foot massage costs 250 to 400 THB in a street shop, 500 to 900 THB in a chain spa and from about 1,500 THB in a hotel spa. Tourist SIM cards from AIS, True and dtac cost 399 to 499 THB for 8 days, 599 to 699 THB for 15 days and about 1,199 THB for 30 days, with generous or unlimited data. Bring your passport: every SIM is registered to it.
Treatments and how to pick a good shop are covered in Thai massage and spas in Pattaya.
How much should you budget per day?
| Style | Per day (THB) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 1,000 to 1,500 | Hostel or shared guesthouse room, street food, songthaews, free beaches, one massage |
| Mid-range | 2,000 to 4,500 | Hotel with pool, restaurant dinners, app taxis, one paid attraction or show |
| Comfort | 5,000 to 10,000 | Beachfront hotel, seafood and international dining, private transfers, spa and day trips |
A family of four in a mid-range hotel should plan on 6,000 to 10,000 THB a day in total, because children share the room and eat less but tickets for water parks and shows add up quickly.
Five ways to spend less
- Sleep two or three streets back from the beach: the walk is five minutes and the room is a third cheaper.
- Eat your main meal at a market or a mall food court, where a plate costs 50 to 80 THB.
- Ride shared songthaews in the daytime and keep app taxis for evenings and luggage.
- Buy water, fruit and snacks in supermarkets and convenience stores, not from the hotel minibar.
- Travel between May and October if your dates are free, and reserve directly with the hotel for long stays.
Should you bring cash, use ATMs or pay by card?
Pattaya still runs on cash for small things: songthaews, markets, street food, beach chairs and most massage shops. Cards are accepted in hotels, malls, supermarkets, chain cafes, convenience stores and in the Bolt and Grab apps.
- ATMs: Thai banks charge foreign cards a flat 220 to 250 THB per withdrawal, on top of whatever your own bank charges. The machine shows the fee before you confirm. Machines give 20,000 to 30,000 THB at a time depending on the bank, so take out larger amounts less often. AEON ATMs, found in some Big C stores and malls, charge 150 THB.
- Always refuse the ATM's offer to convert into your home currency. Choosing to be charged in baht avoids a markup of 3 to 7 percent.
- Exchange booths: clean, large banknotes in euros, dollars or pounds get better value at a licensed exchange booth than at an ATM. The yellow T.T. Currency Exchange booths on Beach Road and Second Road post their rates on a board, so comparing two or three takes a minute. Bring your passport. Airport counters and hotel desks give the weakest rates.
- QR payments: the QR codes on every stall are Thai PromptPay codes linked to Thai bank accounts. Foreign bank cards do not scan them; a few international money apps do. Carry cash for stalls.
How much do you tip in Pattaya?
Tipping is appreciated and never compulsory. In casual restaurants and at stalls, leave the coins or 20 to 50 THB. Where the bill already carries a 10 percent service charge nothing more is expected; without it, about 10 percent is generous in a good restaurant. Give a massage therapist 50 to 100 THB in cash, hotel porters and housekeeping 20 to 50 THB, and round a metered taxi fare up. App drivers do not expect a tip.
Frequently asked
- Is Pattaya cheaper than Bangkok?
- For rooms and local transport, yes. Pattaya has a very large stock of hotels and condominiums, so a mid-range room with a pool costs 1,200 to 2,500 THB against noticeably more for the same standard in central Bangkok, and a songthaew ride is 15 to 20 THB. Street food and convenience-store prices are the same in both cities. Seafood restaurants on the beach and imported drinks cost about what they do in the capital.
- How much cash should you carry each day?
- Carry 1,000 to 3,000 THB in small notes for a normal day of songthaews, street food, beach chairs and a massage, and keep the rest with your passport in the room safe. Drivers and stall holders often cannot change a 1,000 THB note early in the day, so break large notes at a convenience store or supermarket. Use your card for hotels, malls and app taxis.
- When are prices lowest in Pattaya?
- Hotel rates are lowest from May to October, the rainy season, with June and September the cheapest months. Rooms cost most between mid-December and the end of February, at Chinese New Year and during Songkran in mid-April, when popular hotels sell out weeks ahead. Food, transport and massage prices do not change with the season.
