Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samaxi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samaxi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Samaxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Samaxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,704 in Samaxi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Samaxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Samaxi 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$17.69 ₼30.07

-74.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$53.5 ₼90.9

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.68 ₼16.45

-12.50%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.18 ₼7.10

-27.51%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.29 ₼2.19

-46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.36 ₼0.61

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.50 ₼2.55

66.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.67 ₼4.54

37.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.46 ₼2.48

49.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.58 ₼0.98

227.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.00 ₼5.10

-26.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.43 ₼2.43

55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.11 ₼12.09

181.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.72 ₼9.72

-36.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.27 ₼19.15

17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.51 ₼2.57

113.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.67 ₼2.83

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.72 ₼2.92

38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.03 ₼3.45

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.68 ₼1.15

133.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.60 ₼1.03

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.57 ₼0.97

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.49 ₼5.93

21.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.62 ₼18.06

76.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.74 ₼2.96

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.84 ₼4.82

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₼0.48

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$14.94 ₼25.39

-23.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.72 ₼2.93

82.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.20 ₼2.04

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.89 ₼4.91

376.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.62 ₼1.05

116.13%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.5K ₼39.9K

17.94%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.1K ₼42.7K

34.80%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$57.7 ₼98.0

114.31%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$14.90 ₼25.33

-9.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$23.14 ₼39.33

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$29.38 ₼49.94

110.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.98 ₼25.47

15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.09 ₼12.04

28.91%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$231 ₼392

204.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$11.9K ₼20.2K

33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$47.94 ₼81.5

24.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$58.8 ₼99.9

-40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$118 ₼201

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$136 ₼231

-38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$382 ₼649

62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$298 ₼506

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$704 ₼1,197

192.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$895 ₼1,520

68.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,024 ₼3,440

80.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,177 ₼2,000

123.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$343 ₼583

47.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Samaxi: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $382 in Samaxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Samaxi. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $203, with Samaxi 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 Samaxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samaxi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 48% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $382 in Samaxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $231 in Samaxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,077 in Samaxi versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samaxi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samaxi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samaxi 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 Samaxi 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 Samaxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.