Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index

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Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi 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 Delhi and in Koh Samui actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Delhi $520
Koh Samui $1,183

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,939 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Delhi $858
Koh Samui $1,939

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $2,694 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Koh Samui $2,694

Delhi is about 56% cheaper than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Koh Samui are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Koh Samui 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$4.36 ฿146

-15.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$32.80 ฿1,098

-36.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$8.50 ฿285

-56.00%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$2.73 ฿91.3

-14.65%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.94 ฿31.60

-60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.50 ฿16.59

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$2.54 ฿84.9

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$3.73 ฿125

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.74 ฿58.2

-60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.46 ฿48.79

-64.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.56 ฿52.2

-46.79%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$2.10 ฿70.3

-49.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$19.60 ฿656

-77.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$3.27 ฿110

3.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿366

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$2.96 ฿99.0

-32.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.69 ฿56.5

-57.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.22 ฿74.2

-54.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$2.10 ฿70.3

-75.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.46 ฿48.79

-81.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.33 ฿44.53

-72.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.11 ฿37.27

-61.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.51 ฿16.97

-39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$4.23 ฿142

16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$18.25 ฿611

-54.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$1.74 ฿58.3

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.87 ฿95.9

-5.92%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$2.46 ฿82.5

-81.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$45.15 ฿1,512

-66.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$3.08 ฿103

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.06 ฿35.62

-74.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$3.89 ฿130

-60.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.50 ฿50.3

-30.00%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$28.2K ฿944.4K

-62.90%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$27.7K ฿925.9K

-33.59%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$102 ฿3,405

-58.04%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$11.78 ฿394

-65.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$17.76 ฿595

-61.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$54.1 ฿1,812

-64.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$11.53 ฿386

-30.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$7.73 ฿259

-34.28%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$615 ฿20.6K

-83.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$12.4K ฿415.9K

-81.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$61.9 ฿2,073

-61.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$28.96 ฿969

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$94.6 ฿3,167

-43.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$88.2 ฿2,951

-49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$619 ฿20.7K

-57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$389 ฿13.0K

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$1,761 ฿59.0K

-58.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$1,025 ฿34.3K

-61.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$2,971 ฿99.5K

-16.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$2,176 ฿72.8K

-53.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$397 ฿13.3K

47.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.57

49.55%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Koh Samui

$389 33.5% 152% $235

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Koh Samui

$267 23% 148% $159

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Koh Samui

$119 10.2% 36.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Koh Samui

$123 10.6% 82.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Koh Samui

$131 11.3% 146% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Koh Samui

$70 6% 135% $40

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Koh Samui

$63 5.5% 225% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $619 in Koh Samui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $267 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

62,110

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Delhi Koh Samui 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $1,183 in Koh Samui – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,775 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $33.00 in Koh Samui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $1,183 in Koh Samui. That's a gap of about 128%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Koh Samui at $1,183. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Samui it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $1,183 in Koh Samui. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Samui makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.