Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,485 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,131 in Samara.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Samara is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.06 ₡4,510

-55.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$55.1 ₡24.7K

-17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.91 ₡3,100

26.77%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.70 ₡1,213

10.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.98 ₡888

-65.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.37 ₡614

-71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.00 ₡1,347

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.26 ₡1,911

-11.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.97 ₡883

9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.85 ₡1,277

-36.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.22 ₡997

-1.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.03 ₡1,357

-25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.16 ₡4,557

96.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.24 ₡4,144

-60.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.04 ₡4,500

35.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.43 ₡1,988

-26.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.50 ₡674

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.29 ₡1,925

-45.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.47 ₡1,554

-40.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.57 ₡1,599

-56.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$3.10 ₡1,391

-52.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.02 ₡456

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.85 ₡1,280

-83.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.96 ₡2,223

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$18.95 ₡8,498

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.28 ₡1,021

-18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.22 ₡997

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.96 ₡433

47.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.86 ₡832

70.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.86 ₡836

-44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.01 ₡3,592

73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.40 ₡627

-4.29%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-27.12%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.4K ₡14.5M

2.95%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$95.2 ₡42.7K

29.25%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$26.36 ₡11.8K

-47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$60.5 ₡27.1K

-69.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$69.0 ₡30.9K

-12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$24.06 ₡10.8K

-28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.93 ₡4,453

-10.67%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$477 ₡214.0K

44.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,967 ₡2.7M

164.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.0 ₡26.4K

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$52.5 ₡23.5K

-33.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$124 ₡55.4K

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$107 ₡47.9K

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,528 ₡685.0K

-59.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$860 ₡385.5K

-48.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,997 ₡1.3M

-32.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$972 ₡435.9K

53.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$5,023 ₡2.3M

-31.22%

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

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,528 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $351 per month, with Phuket 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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $2,757 in Samara 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 $1,528 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $477 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $55.0 in Samara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Samara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Samara. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Samara 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Samara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.