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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $994 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,708 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,422 in Samara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Samara 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.58 ₽988

-63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$51.0 ₽4,008

-9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.64 ₽443

56.74%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.41 ₽189

26.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.17 ₽92.1

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.69 ₽54.6

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.13 ₽88.5

115.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.58 ₽203

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.12 ₽87.7

101.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.59 ₽46.56

206.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.24 ₽97.3

81.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.72 ₽135

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.34 ₽734

108.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.18 ₽407

-29.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.30 ₽652

57.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.55 ₽122

108.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.82 ₽143

-10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.28 ₽179

4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.36 ₽185

-13.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.62 ₽48.88

146.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.47 ₽36.96

219.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.82 ₽143

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.56 ₽44.16

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.10 ₽243

43.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.51 ₽354

306.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.94 ₽73.9

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.25 ₽176

19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.46 ₽36.52

206.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$40.89 ₽3,213

-71.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.39 ₽267

-8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.42 ₽32.97

147.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.87 ₽304

264.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.75 ₽59.0

74.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$47.8K ₽3.8M

-41.80%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$43.0K ₽3.4M

-22.74%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$121 ₽9,497

1.29%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.43 ₽505

111.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$8.24 ₽647

126.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$35.32 ₽2,775

71.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.69 ₽1,076

24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.20 ₽330

115.95%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$323 ₽25.4K

118.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,976 ₽469.5K

164.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$99.7 ₽7,831

-41.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$46.73 ₽3,671

-24.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$126 ₽9,912

-8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$75.3 ₽5,917

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$458 ₽36.0K

36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$276 ₽21.7K

61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,252 ₽98.4K

62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$710 ₽55.8K

110.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$990 ₽77.8K

-49.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $458 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $182, with Samara cheaper for home cooking.

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

Samara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Samara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $458 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $323 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Samara versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samara 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 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.