What I actually spend living on Phangan every month

People ask me this constantly, usually right after "is it safe to ride a bike here" — so let's just do the actual numbers. This is my real budget for last month, not a rounded-off guess.

My accommodation: 14,000 baht

One-bedroom apartment in Srithanu, AC, decent wifi, no pool. This is solidly mid-range — I could find cheaper further from the beach, and I've got friends paying 40,000+ for a private pool villa. Rent is the single biggest lever you can pull on your monthly total, by a wide margin.

Food: 9,800 baht

I cook maybe half the time — Big C and the local markets make that cheap and easy. The rest is a mix of local restaurants (rarely more than 100–150 baht a plate) and, honestly, too much Western food in Srithanu, which is where the budget actually leaks. A smoothie bowl at a nice cafe is 180–220 baht, and they add up fast if you're not paying attention.

Bike rental: 3,500 baht

Monthly rate through Centerpoint Rental — way cheaper than paying daily. If you're staying more than two weeks, always ask for the monthly price; it's not always advertised.

SIM/internet: 450 baht

Standard monthly data package. See our SIM card guide if you're setting this up for the first time.

The stuff that isn't monthly but adds up

• ATM fees — I got smart about this eventually and now withdraw 20,000 baht at a time instead of small amounts. Still ends up around 500–750 baht/month in fees.
• Visa runs — not every month, but when they happen they're a real expense between the ferry, transport and admin costs
• Bike repairs — I dropped my bike avoiding a dog last year and the repair bill was almost a full week of food budget. Worth having insurance for this alone.

My rough total: around 32,000 baht/month

That's a genuinely comfortable budget-conscious lifestyle — not backpacker-tight, not extravagant. For a full breakdown across different lifestyles (budget, mid-range, villa life), our cost of living guide has the wider ranges. The short version: Phangan can be very cheap or genuinely expensive depending entirely on where you rent and how often you eat Western food.