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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $997 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,440 in Samara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$12.92 ₽954

-63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$50.5 ₽3,727

-10.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.63 ₽415

49.73%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.32 ₽171

26.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.17 ₽86.5

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ₽51.3

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.12 ₽82.9

115.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.52 ₽186

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.07 ₽79.2

108.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.61 ₽44.69

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.24 ₽91.8

75.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.80 ₽133

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.93 ₽659

121.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.10 ₽376

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.69 ₽641

55.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.56 ₽115

110.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.85 ₽136

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.18 ₽161

10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.32 ₽171

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.63 ₽46.83

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.51 ₽37.96

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.80 ₽133

-45.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.61 ₽44.75

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.09 ₽228

42.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$4.92 ₽363

293.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.87 ₽64.2

104.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.32 ₽172

16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.50 ₽37.05

174.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$40.57 ₽2,994

-71.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.43 ₽253

-11.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.39 ₽28.61

153.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.72 ₽275

279.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.74 ₽55.0

83.78%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$48.7K ₽3.6M

-42.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$44.6K ₽3.3M

-26.28%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$121 ₽8,917

0.71%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$6.46 ₽477

110.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$8.49 ₽627

115.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$34.59 ₽2,552

74.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.70 ₽1,011

25.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.05 ₽299

114.57%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$313 ₽23.1K

121.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,042 ₽445.8K

159.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$99.4 ₽7,333

-40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$48.35 ₽3,568

-28.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$129 ₽9,549

-11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$74.7 ₽5,515

11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$469 ₽34.6K

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$281 ₽20.8K

55.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,234 ₽91.1K

69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$714 ₽52.7K

111.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,030 ₽76.0K

-50.65%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $469 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $183, 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samara earns 103% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $469 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $313 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $1,265 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.