Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $817 in Samana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Samana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,889 in Samana.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than Samana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Samana 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.35 DOP 255

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$36.59 DOP 2,144

27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.36 DOP 431

15.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.73 DOP 101

75.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.75 DOP 44.16

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.85 DOP 49.57

-56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.50 DOP 147

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.16 DOP 244

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.38 DOP 81.0

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.82 DOP 48.04

131.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.87 DOP 51.1

152.87%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.10 DOP 123

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.33 DOP 371

215.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.31 DOP 311

-31.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.45 DOP 495

56.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.99 DOP 175

8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.86 DOP 50.3

97.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.39 DOP 81.7

71.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.63 DOP 95.3

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.69 DOP 98.9

-5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.73 DOP 101

-14.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.53 DOP 30.96

94.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.67 DOP 39.06

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.16 DOP 244

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.76 DOP 513

114.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.58 DOP 151

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.90 DOP 170

-4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.81 DOP 47.34

67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.32 DOP 194

-5.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.07 DOP 62.6

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.00 DOP 351

129.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.23 DOP 72.2

8.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

2.96%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

6.31%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$50.4 DOP 2,954

145.12%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.85 DOP 987

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$36.71 DOP 2,150

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.74 DOP 395

35.61%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$263 DOP 15.4K

167.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,189 DOP 479.7K

93.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.3 DOP 3,474

0.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.4 DOP 3,068

-33.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$95.0 DOP 5,566

21.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$116 DOP 6,778

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$310 DOP 18.2K

99.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$254 DOP 14.9K

70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$746 DOP 43.7K

176.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$539 DOP 31.5K

180.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.9

-58.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Samana: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $310 in Samana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Samana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $193 per month, with Samana cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket vs Samana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samana is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,226 in Samana to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $310 in Samana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $263 in Samana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Samana – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Samana versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samana but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samana is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Samana 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 Samana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.