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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,079 in Samaxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,879 in Samaxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,680 in Samaxi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Samaxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Samaxi 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$17.82 ₼30.29

-74.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$53.6 ₼91.2

-12.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.15 ₼15.55

-3.39%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.04 ₼6.86

-25.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.30 ₼2.21

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.34 ₼0.58

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.50 ₼2.55

62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.67 ₼4.55

35.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.43 ₼2.44

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.60 ₼1.02

206.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.10 ₼5.26

-27.74%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.40 ₼2.37

65.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.20 ₼12.24

173.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.00 ₼10.21

-39.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.23 ₼19.09

16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.43 ₼2.43

137.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.68 ₼2.86

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.77 ₼3.01

36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.01 ₼3.42

1.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.74 ₼1.26

110.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.60 ₼1.03

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 ₼0.98

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.48 ₼5.92

27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.72 ₼18.23

76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.73 ₼2.94

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.81 ₼4.77

-2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₼0.47

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$14.54 ₼24.73

-21.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.72 ₼2.92

81.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.16 ₼1.97

-13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.87 ₼4.88

390.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.62 ₼1.05

117.74%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.5K ₼40.0K

15.56%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.0K ₼42.6K

31.43%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$58.5 ₼99.5

113.60%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.75 ₼25.08

-8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$23.34 ₼39.68

-20.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.18 ₼49.61

110.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.80 ₼25.15

13.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.17 ₼12.18

28.17%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$235 ₼399

197.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.6K ₼19.7K

34.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$47.68 ₼81.1

21.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$59.6 ₼101

-40.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$116 ₼198

-2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$133 ₼226

-35.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$388 ₼659

58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$295 ₼501

51.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$708 ₼1,204

189.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$899 ₼1,529

65.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,026 ₼3,444

86.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,199 ₼2,039

120.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$344 ₼584

52.38%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samaxi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $388 in Samaxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% 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 $54.0 in Samaxi. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $205, 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 52% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $388 in Samaxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $235 in Samaxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,079 in Samaxi versus $1,232 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.