Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Koh Samui and in Phuket: $1,176 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,176

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,176 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,176
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,957 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,957
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,737 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,737
Phuket $2,867

Koh Samui is about 3% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Koh Samui and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 13% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.92 ฿1,100

$32.48 ฿1,086

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 ฿282

$8.55 ฿286

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿94.2

$2.72 ฿91.0

3.68%

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

$0.90 ฿30.10

$0.94 ฿31.25

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.49

$0.49 ฿16.39

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿84.0

$2.59 ฿86.6

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿126

$3.83 ฿128

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.74 ฿58.1

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.46

$1.43 ฿47.82

1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.53 ฿51.0

-0.65%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.17 ฿72.7

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿655

$19.15 ฿640

2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ฿113

$3.30 ฿110

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ฿372

$11.14 ฿372

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.4

$2.95 ฿98.5

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.68 ฿56.1

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.8

$2.30 ฿76.8

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.15

$1.53 ฿51.1

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.48

$1.36 ฿45.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.70

$1.12 ฿37.44

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.28

$0.55 ฿18.24

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿141

$4.26 ฿142

-0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 ฿627

$18.19 ฿608

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.1

$2.79 ฿93.3

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.22 ฿74.1

-6.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.70 ฿1,494

$22.06 ฿737

102.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ฿107

$2.91 ฿97.3

9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿37.09

$1.01 ฿33.79

9.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿129

$3.83 ฿128

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.49 ฿49.85

1.34%

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

$28.2K ฿942.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

5.73%

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

$27.8K ฿928.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

3.97%

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

$104 ฿3,459

$99.4 ฿3,321

4.17%

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

$11.87 ฿397

$11.28 ฿377

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 ฿603

$17.36 ฿580

3.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ฿1,818

$52.3 ฿1,747

4.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿388

$10.85 ฿362

7.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ฿274

$7.57 ฿253

8.19%

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

$603 ฿20.1K

$558 ฿18.7K

7.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ฿420.9K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

9.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,075

$62.9 ฿2,102

-1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.12 ฿973

$28.58 ฿955

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ฿3,180

$96.1 ฿3,213

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ฿2,907

$88.1 ฿2,943

-1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ฿21.0K

$729 ฿24.4K

-14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 ฿59.4K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 ฿34.5K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-15.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,979 ฿99.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-13.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,113 ฿70.6K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-15.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 ฿13.3K

$493 ฿16.5K

-19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Koh Samui: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$397 33.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 15.8% $63

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$268 22.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 0.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 11.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 4.1% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$123 10.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.8% $1

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$121 10.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$71 6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 4.7% $3.4

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$62 5.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 37% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Koh Samui versus $729 in Phuket. 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 24% higher in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Koh Samui vs $268 in Phuket – so Koh Samui wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

Same time as Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

79,308

💱 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

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Between locations

Koh Samui Phuket 250 km

From you

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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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,176 in Koh Samui, $1,207 in Phuket – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,764 per month in Koh Samui and $1,811 in Phuket. 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 0% cheaper in Phuket – 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 $32.00 in Phuket. 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 Phuket at $1,207. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket 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 $1,207 in Phuket. 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, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.