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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $941 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,386 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,832 in Samara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Samara 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.18 ₽616

-36.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$34.69 ₽2,977

-5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.15 ₽442

72.82%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.11 ₽181

32.70%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.97 ₽83.4

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.46 ₽39.31

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.00 ₽85.5

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.83 ₽157

102.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.05 ₽90.4

70.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.84 ₽72.4

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.30 ₽111

21.54%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.44 ₽124

47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.34 ₽887

92.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.04 ₽433

-31.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.28 ₽625

55.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.60 ₽137

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.80 ₽154

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.52 ₽130

52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.69 ₽231

-22.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.95 ₽81.4

54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.42 ₽35.71

223.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.12 ₽96.0

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.53 ₽45.67

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.52 ₽216

69.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$4.15 ₽356

343.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.78 ₽66.9

139.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.29 ₽110

126.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.45 ₽38.36

393.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.51 ₽302

-13.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.41 ₽292

15.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.78 ₽66.9

91.03%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$26.4K ₽2.3M

2.92%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$36.0K ₽3.1M

-23.82%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$116 ₽9,940

-11.24%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$5.38 ₽461

104.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$10.42 ₽894

68.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$44.28 ₽3,800

20.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$21.61 ₽1,855

-48.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.12 ₽440

46.09%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$72.6 ₽6,233

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$44.45 ₽3,815

-34.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$105 ₽8,979

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$82.3 ₽7,062

9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$526 ₽45.1K

38.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$328 ₽28.1K

52.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$853 ₽73.2K

145.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$410 ₽35.2K

194.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,326 ₽199.6K

54.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,496 ₽128.4K

67.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$859 ₽73.7K

-41.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.03

-77.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Samara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $526 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $176, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $526 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Samara – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $941 in Samara versus $1,253 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.