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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Samos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,124 in Samos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,821 in Samos.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Samos is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.36 €9.85

-59.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,533

$41.16 €35.69

13.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿278

$6.76 €5.86

25.30%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.5

$3.51 €3.04

-13.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.65

$2.26 €1.96

-69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.03

$0.76 €0.66

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.8

$4.67 €4.05

-46.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$6.58 €5.70

-44.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.7

$1.73 €1.50

26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.5

$1.42 €1.24

33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.3

$2.41 €2.09

-8.71%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.1

$4.21 €3.65

-47.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿657

$13.51 €11.72

47.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿120

$9.70 €8.41

-62.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$13.70 €11.88

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.16 €1.87

49.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.8

$2.10 €1.82

-19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.7

$1.51 €1.31

58.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$2.06 €1.78

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.3

$1.27 €1.10

25.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.76

$1.24 €1.08

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.85

$0.98 €0.85

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.99

$0.81 €0.70

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$5.41 €4.69

-21.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$7.13 €6.18

163.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.08 €1.80

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.6

$2.73 €2.37

1.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.73

$1.59 €1.38

-14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$46.62 €40.42

-75.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$4.74 €4.11

-33.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿452

$13.79 €11.96

-0.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.20

$2.29 €1.99

-41.48%

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

$27.7K ฿909.7K

$30.9K €26.8K

-10.53%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.1K €22.6K

29.81%

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

$124 ฿4,062

$217 €188

-43.11%

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

$13.52 ฿444

$23.16 €20.09

-41.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿614

$32.55 €28.23

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,032

$48.39 €41.96

27.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿567

$26.50 €22.98

-34.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿300

$9.77 €8.47

-6.45%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$418 €363

68.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿521.7K

$5,984 €5,189

165.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,955

$88.8 €77.0

-33.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,153

$37.86 €32.84

-7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,789

$89.3 €77.4

29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,763

$105 €91.2

-20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.3K

$489 €424

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$387 €335

11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.8K

$789 €684

161.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$625 €542

141.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿119.8K

$2,704 €2,345

34.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.3K

$2,471 €2,143

6.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$1,031 €894

-50.81%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Samos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $489 in Samos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samos pays 103% 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 $41.00 in Samos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $278 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samos 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: $619 in Phuket versus $489 in Samos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $418 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,426 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 13% less than in Samos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.