Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,390 in Samos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $2,068 in Samos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,746 in Samos.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Samos is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$11.49 €9.80

-59.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$40.38 €34.45

15.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.09 €6.05

22.43%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.52 €3.01

-16.19%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$2.27 €1.94

-69.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.76 €0.64

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$4.75 €4.05

-46.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$6.62 €5.64

-42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.72 €1.46

29.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.49 €1.27

20.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$2.39 €2.04

-8.37%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$4.10 €3.49

-43.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$13.42 €11.45

44.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$9.62 €8.21

-60.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$13.70 €11.69

-3.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.15 €1.84

54.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.06 €1.76

-19.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.43 €1.22

60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.04 €1.74

-2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.22 €1.04

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.24 €1.06

21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.99 €0.84

4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.75 €0.64

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$5.41 €4.61

-18.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.55 €6.44

157.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.10 €1.80

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.81 €2.40

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.53 €1.31

-6.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$46.18 €39.39

-74.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$4.73 €4.04

-35.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$13.65 €11.65

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$2.18 €1.86

-40.37%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$31.2K €26.6K

-10.47%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$26.2K €22.4K

26.00%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$219 €187

-43.76%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$23.12 €19.72

-40.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$32.90 €28.06

-42.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$47.88 €40.84

27.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$26.44 €22.56

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$9.28 €7.92

-4.42%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$431 €368

61.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$5,938 €5,066

170.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$88.1 €75.2

-32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$37.96 €32.38

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$88.7 €75.6

27.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$106 €90.4

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$487 €416

26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$386 €329

16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$763 €651

173.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$608 €519

146.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$3,082 €2,629

21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$2,230 €1,902

19.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,061 €905

-49.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.43

20.32%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Samos: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $487 in Samos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samos pays 99% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $40 in Samos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $277 per month, with Samos cheaper across the board.

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 Samos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samos earns 99% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $487 in Samos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $431 in Samos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Samos pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,390 in Samos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Samos. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Samos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Samos 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Samos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.