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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $835 in Samana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,334 in Samana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,834 in Samana.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Samana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Samana 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.19 DOP 243

6.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$36.95 DOP 2,147

23.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.60 DOP 442

15.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.67 DOP 97.2

77.84%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.76 DOP 43.87

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.77 DOP 44.88

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.54 DOP 147

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.30 DOP 250

-12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.33 DOP 77.0

61.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.89 DOP 51.7

104.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.83 DOP 48.03

162.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.00 DOP 116

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.27 DOP 364

218.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.20 DOP 302

-30.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.41 DOP 489

61.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.08 DOP 179

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.93 DOP 53.9

76.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.34 DOP 78.1

73.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.57 DOP 91.3

31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.75 DOP 102

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.75 DOP 102

-16.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.53 DOP 30.54

84.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.67 DOP 38.86

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.30 DOP 250

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.34 DOP 485

122.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.48 DOP 144

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.01 DOP 175

-11.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.83 DOP 48.07

71.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.41 DOP 198

-7.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.02 DOP 59.5

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.04 DOP 351

129.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.28 DOP 74.4

4.69%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

5.63%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

4.06%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$51.9 DOP 3,015

137.18%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.97 DOP 986

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.25 DOP 2,107

-49.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.76 DOP 393

31.21%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$266 DOP 15.4K

158.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,990 DOP 464.3K

97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.7 DOP 3,470

-0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$51.2 DOP 2,975

-32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$97.3 DOP 5,655

18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$114 DOP 6,633

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$313 DOP 18.2K

98.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$252 DOP 14.7K

76.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$733 DOP 42.6K

177.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$534 DOP 31.1K

179.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samana: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $313 in Samana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Samana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $192 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 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,253 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: $621 in Phuket versus $313 in Samana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $266 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $835 in Samana versus $1,264 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.