Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samsun Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samsun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Samsun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,508 in Samsun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,005 in Samsun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Samsun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Samsun 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.59 ₺360

-40.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$25.65 ₺1,218

77.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.13 ₺434

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.71 ₺129

9.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$1.24 ₺58.9

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.24 ₺11.30

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.78 ₺132

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.03 ₺144

23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.06 ₺50.1

102.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.36 ₺17.32

405.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$3.91 ₺186

-44.25%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.70 ₺80.7

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$8.64 ₺411

131.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.98 ₺474

-63.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$18.81 ₺894

-27.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.24 ₺59.0

161.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.17 ₺55.6

40.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$0.92 ₺43.58

153.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.25 ₺59.5

65.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.62 ₺29.36

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$0.62 ₺29.30

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$0.78 ₺37.16

25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.71 ₺33.90

-32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.05 ₺97.6

112.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.61 ₺456

93.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.98 ₺94.3

-6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.56 ₺122

3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.56 ₺26.52

153.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$9.60 ₺456

20.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.26 ₺107

40.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.61 ₺28.76

68.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$4.68 ₺222

196.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.13 ₺53.5

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$43.7K ₺2.1M

-36.40%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$49.4K ₺2.3M

-32.42%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$49.84 ₺2,368

146.89%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$10.88 ₺517

26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$11.45 ₺544

60.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$83.8 ₺3,981

-27.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.75 ₺273

54.26%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$513 ₺24.4K

34.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$3,833 ₺182.1K

311.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$38.57 ₺1,832

53.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$44.57 ₺2,118

-22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$90.4 ₺4,296

27.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$43.60 ₺2,071

92.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$498 ₺23.7K

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$335 ₺15.9K

33.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$713 ₺33.9K

185.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$518 ₺24.6K

188.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$759 ₺36.0K

355.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$421 ₺20.0K

500.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$971 ₺46.1K

-49.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

43.33

-87.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samsun: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $498 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samsun pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $241 per month, with Samsun 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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samsun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Samsun. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $498 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $513 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Samsun versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samsun but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samsun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samsun 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 Samsun 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 Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.