Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,114 a month against $1,176 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,176

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,176 in Koh Samui versus $1,114 in Bangkok.

Koh Samui $1,176
Bangkok $1,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,957 in Koh Samui versus $1,784 in Bangkok.

Koh Samui $1,957
Bangkok $1,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,737 in Koh Samui versus $2,455 in Bangkok.

Koh Samui $2,737
Bangkok $2,455

Living in Koh Samui is roughly 6% more expensive than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$2.90 ฿96.9

57.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.92 ฿1,100

$35.45 ฿1,185

-7.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 ฿282

$6.46 ฿216

30.80%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿94.2

$2.74 ฿91.7

2.92%

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

$0.90 ฿30.10

$0.67 ฿22.26

34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.49

$0.34 ฿11.32

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿84.0

$2.69 ฿90.0

-6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿126

$4.59 ฿153

-17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.87 ฿62.6

-11.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.46

$1.48 ฿49.56

-2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.42 ฿47.37

7.04%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.55 ฿85.3

-15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿655

$16.98 ฿568

15.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ฿113

$3.70 ฿124

-8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ฿372

$12.79 ฿428

-13.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.4

$3.90 ฿130

-24.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.74 ฿58.2

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.8

$2.72 ฿90.9

-17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.95 ฿65.2

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.15

$1.69 ฿56.6

-13.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.48

$1.51 ฿50.6

-9.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.70

$1.29 ฿43.18

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.28

$0.52 ฿17.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿141

$4.52 ฿151

-6.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 ฿627

$14.90 ฿498

25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.78 ฿59.3

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.1

$3.18 ฿106

-11.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.07 ฿35.75

93.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.70 ฿1,494

$35.69 ฿1,193

25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ฿107

$1.02 ฿34.04

213.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿37.09

$1.21 ฿40.56

-8.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿129

$5.94 ฿199

-34.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.44 ฿48.06

4.86%

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

$28.2K ฿942.7K

$31.8K ฿1.1M

-11.40%

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

$27.8K ฿928.1K

$27.3K ฿910.9K

1.89%

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

$104 ฿3,459

$106 ฿3,546

-2.45%

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

$11.87 ฿397

$15.05 ฿503

-21.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 ฿603

$17.60 ฿588

2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ฿1,818

$57.4 ฿1,918

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿388

$18.78 ฿628

-38.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ฿274

$7.48 ฿250

9.49%

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

$603 ฿20.1K

$563 ฿18.8K

7.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ฿420.9K

$16.3K ฿544.0K

-22.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,075

$71.4 ฿2,386

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.12 ฿973

$43.53 ฿1,455

-33.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ฿3,180

$95.7 ฿3,198

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ฿2,907

$106 ฿3,559

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ฿21.0K

$680 ฿22.7K

-7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$338 ฿11.3K

17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 ฿59.4K

$2,002 ฿66.9K

-11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 ฿34.5K

$725 ฿24.2K

42.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,979 ฿99.6K

$6,106 ฿204.1K

-51.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,113 ฿70.6K

$3,111 ฿104.0K

-32.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 ฿13.3K

$605 ฿20.2K

-34.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Koh Samui: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$397 33.8%

Bangkok

$338 30.4% 14.8% $59

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$268 22.8%

Bangkok

$272 24.5% 1.5% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 11.4%

Bangkok

$139 12.5% 4% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$123 10.5%

Bangkok

$143 12.8% 16% $20

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$121 10.3%

Bangkok

$102 9.2% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$71 6%

Bangkok

$72 6.5% 2.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$62 5.3%

Bangkok

$47 4.2% 23.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $627 in Koh Samui and $680 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

Same time as Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

5,666,264 Capital

💱 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

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Koh Samui Bangkok 480 km

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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

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

Koh Samui and Bangkok differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,176 vs $1,114 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Bangkok. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $627 in Koh Samui versus $680 in Bangkok. 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 $1,176 per month in Koh Samui versus $1,114 in Bangkok – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,114 in Bangkok versus $1,176 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, Koh Samui and Bangkok 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.