Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,112 a month against $1,177 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
Learn more

Koh Samui Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,177

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Koh Samui

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bangkok and in Koh Samui actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,177 in Koh Samui.

Bangkok $1,112
Koh Samui $1,177

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Bangkok versus $1,947 in Koh Samui.

Bangkok $1,788
Koh Samui $1,947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Bangkok versus $2,717 in Koh Samui.

Bangkok $2,464
Koh Samui $2,717

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 5% less than in Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 18% lower, Koh Samui 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿98.7

$4.36 ฿146

-32.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 ฿1,174

$32.78 ฿1,095

7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 ฿245

$8.84 ฿295

-17.08%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.3

$2.82 ฿94.1

-3.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ฿20.78

$0.88 ฿29.52

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.17

$0.47 ฿15.61

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$2.56 ฿85.6

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.77 ฿126

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$1.67 ฿55.9

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.42 ฿47.33

6.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.72

$1.52 ฿50.8

-11.84%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.4

$2.15 ฿71.9

21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 ฿572

$19.72 ฿659

-13.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.34 ฿112

9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 ฿429

$11.00 ฿368

16.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ฿125

$2.95 ฿98.4

26.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.68 ฿56.1

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.2

$2.21 ฿74.0

26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$2.13 ฿71.0

-11.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.45 ฿48.39

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.38 ฿45.96

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$1.12 ฿37.51

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.22

$0.50 ฿16.85

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿158

$4.38 ฿146

7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ฿505

$18.60 ฿622

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.0

$1.81 ฿60.5

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.88 ฿96.3

10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$2.39 ฿80.0

-53.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.46 ฿1,152

$45.05 ฿1,506

-23.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$3.21 ฿107

-66.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿38.60

$1.10 ฿36.91

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 ฿194

$3.94 ฿132

47.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.14

$1.56 ฿52.3

-9.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$27.7K ฿924.8K

14.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K ฿887.8K

$27.8K ฿930.7K

-4.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$108 ฿3,612

$103 ฿3,440

4.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.14 ฿506

$11.77 ฿393

28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 ฿607

$18.13 ฿606

0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,857

$55.7 ฿1,863

-0.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 ฿620

$11.48 ฿384

61.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$7.84 ฿262

-0.26%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$569 ฿19.0K

$602 ฿20.1K

-5.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ฿557.0K

$12.5K ฿417.9K

33.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ฿2,371

$63.0 ฿2,107

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 ฿1,424

$28.30 ฿946

50.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,361

$96.2 ฿3,216

4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,560

$86.5 ฿2,891

23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ฿22.5K

$628 ฿21.0K

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ฿11.1K

$396 ฿13.3K

-15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ฿66.2K

$1,761 ฿58.9K

12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ฿24.5K

$1,010 ฿33.7K

-27.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,236 ฿208.4K

$2,985 ฿99.8K

108.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 ฿103.5K

$2,170 ฿72.5K

42.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿20.9K

$402 ฿13.4K

55.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bangkok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$333 30%

Koh Samui

$396 33.7% 19% $63

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$272 24.5%

Koh Samui

$268 22.8% 1.5% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$144 13%

Koh Samui

$123 10.5% 14.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Koh Samui

$133 11.3% 6% $8.5

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Koh Samui

$121 10.3% 16.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.4%

Koh Samui

$71 6.1% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Koh Samui

$63 5.4% 38.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bangkok and $628 in Koh Samui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Bangkok vs $33.00 in Koh Samui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $268 per month, with Koh Samui cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

62,110

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Koh Samui 480 km

From you

Bangkok
Koh Samui

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bangkok vs Koh Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Koh Samui differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,112 vs $1,177 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Bangkok, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bangkok versus $628 in Koh Samui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,112 per month in Bangkok versus $1,177 in Koh Samui – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,177 in Koh Samui, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Koh Samui. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Koh Samui are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Koh Samui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.