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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,010 in Samsun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,499 in Samsun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,988 in Samsun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than Samsun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Samsun 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.66 ₺346

-39.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.00 ₺1,129

87.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.71 ₺393

1.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 ₺125

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.30 ₺58.6

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.26 ₺11.77

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.94 ₺133

-17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.04 ₺137

18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.07 ₺48.29

111.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.36 ₺16.34

411.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.85 ₺174

-41.82%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.72 ₺77.5

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.62 ₺389

128.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.97 ₺450

-63.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.19 ₺866

-31.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.24 ₺55.8

173.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.11 ₺49.98

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.92 ₺41.40

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.24 ₺56.1

63.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.61 ₺27.44

155.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.60 ₺27.27

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.74 ₺33.46

37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.67 ₺30.20

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.11 ₺95.1

110.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.86 ₺355

140.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.05 ₺92.7

-13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.56 ₺116

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.55 ₺24.65

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$9.47 ₺428

21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.21 ₺99.9

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.64 ₺29.00

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.68 ₺211

201.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.13 ₺50.9

19.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$42.5K ₺1.9M

-36.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$50.2K ₺2.3M

-34.40%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$50.2 ₺2,266

149.01%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.90 ₺492

24.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.28 ₺509

64.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$81.1 ₺3,659

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.88 ₺265

56.29%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$511 ₺23.1K

36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,745 ₺169.1K

316.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$37.61 ₺1,698

53.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$44.91 ₺2,027

-21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.2 ₺3,982

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$43.58 ₺1,967

98.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$494 ₺22.3K

24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$336 ₺15.2K

32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$737 ₺33.3K

177.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$528 ₺23.8K

182.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,685 ₺166.3K

2.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,055 ₺137.9K

-13.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,030 ₺46.5K

-49.13%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samsun: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $494 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $238 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samsun earns 97% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $494 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $511 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,010 in Samsun versus $1,232 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.