Thai food prices
What meals, snacks and drinks cost in 2026, and where to find the cheapest good food.
Thai food is the best value in the country. You can eat very well on ฿150–250 a day at street stalls and markets, and most visitors find the cheap food is also the best food.
Typical prices
| Food or drink | Price |
|---|---|
| Pad thai, fried rice, pad kra pao | ฿40–80 |
| Noodle soup | ฿40–60 |
| Som tam | ฿40–60 |
| Skewers (moo ping, gai yang) | ฿10–20 each |
| Khao soi, Chiang Mai | about ฿50–85 |
| Fruit shake | ฿40–60 |
| 7-Eleven breakfast | ฿40–70 |
| Local restaurant meal | ฿60–100 |
| Backpacker restaurant meal | ฿100–200 |
| Tourist-area Thai restaurant | ฿150–250 |
| Beer at a shop or local bar | ฿50–70 |
| Beer on Phi Phi | ฿80–150 |
Where to eat cheaply
Night markets are the easiest start: dozens of stalls, prices on signs, and you can try five things for the cost of one restaurant dish. Food courts in malls and big stations have stall food with air-conditioning, usually paid with a pre-loaded card you can refund at the end. Shophouse restaurants with plastic stools and a menu on the wall are where Thais eat lunch, often for under ฿80.
7-Eleven is useful for breakfast, water and toasties, but it is not cheaper than street food for a real meal.
How to avoid tourist prices
- Eat one street away from the main tourist strip. Prices often drop by a third.
- Look for a menu with prices. If there is none, ask before ordering.
- Drink beer from a shop or 7-Eleven on the islands, where bar prices can double.
- Choose places with a queue of locals at lunchtime.
The full list of 25 dishes with fair prices is in Thai street food prices. Want to learn to cook it? A half-day class in Chiang Mai costs about $25–45.
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Questions people ask
How much does food cost per day in Thailand?
About ฿150–250 a day if you eat at street stalls and markets, ฿350–500 with one sit-down meal, and ฿500+ eating mostly in restaurants.
Is street food safe in Thailand?
Yes, for most visitors. Pick busy stalls where food is cooked fresh in front of you, and drink bottled or filtered water.
How much is a beer in Thailand?
A large local beer costs ฿50–70 from a shop or local bar. On Koh Phi Phi beers cost ฿80–150, and craft beer is ฿100–150 a pint.
Is 7-Eleven food cheap in Thailand?
It is cheap for breakfast and snacks (฿40–100), but a street-food meal at ฿40–80 is usually better value.