About

  • About Tech Cities Index
  • Methodology
  • FAQ

Tools

  • Salary Converter
  • LinkedIn Network

Built with ❤️ by Mohamed Oun

Tech Cities Index LogoTech Cities Index
Salary ConverterLinkedIn NetworkAbout
Pattaya
#67 of 124
Asia

Pattaya

Thailand

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Pattaya compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Pattaya is 45% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Pattaya compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$35,341
-$237K (-87%) vs San Francisco
Based on 235 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$30,040
-$142K (-83%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 15%

Community Insights

New

Pattaya presents a polarizing proposition for software engineers. It offers perhaps the highest value-for-money luxury living in Thailand, with modern condos and international amenities available at rock-bottom prices. However, this comes with the baggage of its "Sin City" reputation and a visual environment dominated by adult entertainment in the central areas.

For a remote worker, the technical infrastructure is sound, but the social infrastructure is lacking if you are looking for professional peers rather than retirees or holidaymakers. The city is best viewed not as a tech hub, but as a comfortable, low-cost base of operations near Bangkok, provided you can tolerate or avoid the seedier elements.

Resident Sentiment

Long-term residents often describe a "love-hate" relationship. Many successful expats explicitly advise avoiding Central Pattaya in favor of Jomtien or Pratumnak Hill to escape the chaos while keeping the benefits. There is a strong sentiment that Pattaya is what you make of it: a cheap paradise if you stay in your lane, or a trap if you get sucked into the party lifestyle.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Tax Rate

Top 9%

#11

of 124 cities

15%

Current value (lower is better)

Cost of Living

Top 16%

#20

of 124 cities

28/100

Current value (lower is better)

Home Affordability

Middle of the pack

#45

of 124 cities

≈6.5 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Pattaya compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$2,423 / m²
76% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Pattaya to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
69% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Pattaya

Coda Payments logo
Coda Payments
Agoda logo
Agoda
Aviasales logo
Aviasales
  • Extremely affordable luxury housing: High-end condos with pools, gyms, and sea views are significantly cheaper here than in Bangkok or Phuket, offering a high quality of life for a fraction of the cost.
  • Proximity to Bangkok: Located just 2 hours from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport, allowing for easy international travel and access to the capital's tech events without paying capital prices.
  • Solid infrastructure: Excellent internet speeds (fiber is standard) and reliable 5G coverage make remote work technicality seamless.
  • International amenities: A high concentration of international hospitals, shopping malls, and diverse cuisine options due to the large, established expat community.
  • Jomtien and Naklua: Distinct neighborhoods that offer a quieter, family-friendly atmosphere, separate from the chaotic nightlife of Central Pattaya.

The Bad

  • Red-light reputation: The city is globally infamous for its sex tourism industry, which can be intrusive, creating an uncomfortable environment for some professionals and families.
  • Severe air pollution: Ranked poorly for pollution (#119 of 124 cities), with seasonal crop burning creating hazardous air quality (PM2.5) for several months of the year.
  • Lack of tech scene: Unlike Bangkok or Chiang Mai, there is almost no local tech ecosystem, coworking culture, or networking events for developers.
  • Distracting environment: The holiday/party atmosphere can make it difficult to maintain discipline and focus compared to a dedicated digital nomad hub.
  • Ocean pollution: While it is a coastal city, the main beaches are often considered too dirty for swimming, requiring trips to nearby islands like Koh Larn for clean water.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Senior remote workers or freelancers who have a secured income and prioritize housing quality and low costs over networking. It is also ideal for the "thick-skinned" expat who can ignore the nightlife scene and appreciates the convenience of living in a fully serviced city by the sea.

Skip it if...

Junior developers seeking mentorship or career growth, as the local job market for foreigners is non-existent. Families with young children may find the central areas inappropriate, and those with respiratory issues should avoid the city due to its low air quality ranking (#119).

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather1.5/10-83% vs San Francisco
Safety54+37%
Pollution87+77%
Events0-100%
1.5/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
31°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
25°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
2,900h/yr-162h/yr(-5%)
Hottest Month High
32°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
22°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
Rainy Days
128/yr+79/yr(+162%)

Community & Quality

Pattaya community pulse

Pattaya has 0 Luma events listed.

100% fewer events than San Francisco.

Safety Index

Middle of the pack

#65

of 124 cities

54.1/100

Current value

Purchasing Power

Middle of the pack

#67

of 124 cities

Net Income

Bottom 26%

#93

of 124 cities

$30,040/yr

Current value

Community Events

Bottom 15%

#107

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

Comfortable Weather

Bottom 6%

#118

of 124 cities

15/100 weather score

Current value

Pollution Score

Bottom 5%

#119

of 124 cities

87/100

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
6.5 years
1.8 years longer than San Francisco
Muggy Days
338/yr+338/yr(+169100%)
Cloud Cover
75%(vs 34% in San Francisco)