Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Nizhny Novgorod

For one person, living costs are similar in Koh Samui and in Nizhny Novgorod: $1,176 and $1,232 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,176

/mo nomad

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Samui and in Nizhny Novgorod

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 Nizhny Novgorod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,176 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,176
Nizhny Novgorod $1,232

A couple spends around $1,957 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,957
Nizhny Novgorod $1,855

A family of three spends $2,737 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,737
Nizhny Novgorod $2,479

Koh Samui is about 5% cheaper than Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Koh Samui and Nizhny Novgorod are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 13% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$13.93 ₽1,163

-67.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.92 ฿1,100

$53.0 ₽4,420

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 ฿282

$7.06 ₽589

19.69%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿94.2

$3.30 ₽275

-14.55%

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

$0.90 ฿30.10

$1.74 ₽145

-48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.49

$0.70 ₽58.2

-34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿84.0

$1.86 ₽156

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿126

$3.70 ₽309

2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.19 ₽99.6

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.46

$0.82 ₽68.2

76.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.47 ₽123

3.40%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.61 ₽134

33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿655

$11.65 ₽972

68.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ฿113

$4.59 ₽383

-26.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ฿372

$13.56 ₽1,132

-17.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.4

$1.70 ₽142

72.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.70 ₽142

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.8

$1.76 ₽147

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.66 ₽306

-41.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.15

$0.68 ₽57.1

116.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.48

$0.61 ₽50.7

122.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.70

$1.28 ₽107

-16.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.28

$0.74 ₽61.6

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿141

$2.96 ₽247

42.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 ฿627

$8.17 ₽682

129.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.09 ₽90.9

59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.1

$2.35 ₽196

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.46 ₽38.56

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.70 ฿1,494

$16.96 ₽1,416

163.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ฿107

$2.13 ₽177

50.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿37.09

$0.44 ₽36.57

152.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿129

$7.19 ₽600

-46.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.81 ₽67.6

86.42%

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

$28.2K ฿942.7K

$42.4K ₽3.5M

-33.40%

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

$27.8K ฿928.1K

$32.8K ₽2.7M

-15.23%

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

$104 ฿3,459

$144 ₽12.0K

-28.10%

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

$11.87 ฿397

$7.12 ₽594

66.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 ฿603

$8.03 ₽670

124.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ฿1,818

$32.72 ₽2,730

66.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿388

$26.32 ₽2,197

-55.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ฿274

$7.22 ₽603

13.43%

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

$603 ฿20.1K

$309 ₽25.8K

95.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ฿420.9K

$6,940 ₽579.2K

81.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,075

$69.3 ₽5,781

-10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.12 ฿973

$54.3 ₽4,531

-46.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ฿3,180

$141 ₽11.8K

-32.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ฿2,907

$83.4 ₽6,963

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ฿21.0K

$610 ₽50.9K

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$428 ₽35.7K

-7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 ฿59.4K

$863 ₽72.0K

105.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 ฿34.5K

$614 ₽51.3K

67.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,979 ฿99.6K

$3,279 ₽273.7K

-9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,113 ฿70.6K

$2,075 ₽173.2K

1.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 ฿13.3K

$1,024 ₽85.4K

-61.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.81

-73.23%

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

Last update for Koh Samui: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$397 33.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8% 7.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$268 22.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8% 18.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 11.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9% 19.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$123 10.5%

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7% 27.2% $34

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$121 10.3%

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1% 63.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$71 6%

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8% 33.4% $24

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$62 5.3%

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9% 62.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Koh Samui versus $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. 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 157% higher in Nizhny Novgorod, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Koh Samui versus $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Koh Samui vs $219 in Nizhny Novgorod – so Nizhny Novgorod wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🕒 Local time

21:04 9:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

4 h behind Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

1,244,254

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Koh Samui Nizhny Novgorod 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Samui
Nizhny Novgorod

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 Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,176 in Koh Samui, $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,764 per month in Koh Samui and $1,847 in Nizhny Novgorod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Nizhny Novgorod – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Koh Samui and $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,176, than in Nizhny Novgorod at $1,232. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nizhny Novgorod 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 $1,176 in Koh Samui to $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod. 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 Koh Samui. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nizhny Novgorod makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.