Your local guide to Thailand
How far your money goes depends on where you are moving from, and for most people coming from the West the difference is considerable. Real budgets, honest advice and on-the-ground help for retirees, expats and digital nomads, written by people who actually live here, in Pattaya, Jomtien and Bang Saray.
Quick answer
Most single expats in the Pattaya area live comfortably on ฿26,800 to ฿56,000 a month, roughly $825 to $1,720. Rent drives the difference, from ฿8,000 for a studio to ฿18,000 for a sea-view condo. A retirement visa needs ฿800,000 in a Thai bank or ฿65,000 a month in income.
Why this guide is different
Most "move to Thailand" articles are written by people who visited once. We live here. Use the free guides to plan your move, and when you're ready, we'll help you make it happen.
Line-by-line monthly budgets for rent, food, transport, healthcare and visas, all updated for 2026.
Condos, rentals, visa agents, hospitals and insurance: vetted contacts we actually use.
Free to read. When you're ready, book relocation consulting or condo-finding support.
Explore the guides
Comprehensive, Lonely-Planet-style guides, each one a step closer to making the move.
Real monthly budgets by city & lifestyle.
Explore →Street eats to fine dining, and what it costs.
Explore →How to find & rent the right place.
Explore →What foreigners can & can't buy.
Explore →Condos, apartments, hotels & guesthouses.
Explore →Schools, parks & kid-friendly fun.
Explore →Tourist & outdoor adventures.
Explore →Meditation, wellness & spiritual sites.
Explore →Best beaches & island hopping.
Explore →Visas, retirement, healthcare & taxes.
Explore →Stay in our vetted local rentals.
Explore →Consulting, condo-finding & AI workshops.
Explore →Go deeper
One companion ebook to the whole area: where to eat, swim, unwind, and spend your days, with honest local picks and ready-made itineraries. The very best spots stay exclusive to the book.
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Stay with us
Studios, one and two bedrooms and lofts. Tell us what you need and we will match it against what is available.
The photos above are examples of each type, not specific units. Pool view and sea view are offered subject to availability. Rates move with the unit and the season, so tell us what you need and we will match it against what is free. We have numerous options, and more again through our partner agency JR Plus Property. Message us on WhatsApp and tell us what you are after.
Hunting for a condo in Jomtien? We partner with JR Plus Property, our most trusted Jomtien condo specialists. Message us on WhatsApp.
From dreaming to living here
Understand real costs, visas and neighborhoods.
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Move into a vetted rental and start living.
Budget figures based on 2026 expat cost data (Wise, Expatden) and local rental listings.
Compared with Western Europe, North America and Australia, yes. Rent, food and healthcare remain far lower. Imported goods, cars and alcohol are the exceptions and can cost more than they do at home.
For over-50s, the retirement Non-O requires ฿800,000 in a Thai bank or ฿65,000 a month in income. Remote workers generally use the DTV. Requirements change often, so confirm with official Thai government sources before you commit to anything.
Jomtien and Na Jomtien are the quieter, residential choices and suit families and retirees. Central Pattaya is busier, with more shopping and restaurants. Bang Saray, further south, is a sleepy fishing town.
A foreigner can own a condominium outright, but only within a building's 49 percent foreign quota. Foreigners cannot own land in their own name, so houses are normally held on a registered lease, commonly thirty years.
For most visitors and families, yes. Violent crime against foreigners is rare. The real risks are the roads, which are the biggest danger by a wide margin, sea currents in season, and opportunistic theft in tourist areas.
Next step
Every guide on this site is free to read, from real monthly budgets to visas, renting and buying. When you want a hand with the move itself, that is what we do.