Cost of Living Comparison Between Samana and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Samana and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $840 in Samana versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,348 in Samana versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Samana versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Samana costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samana 37% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 DOP 251

$4.63 ฿151

-9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 DOP 2,160

$46.84 ฿1,523

-22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 DOP 452

$8.84 ฿287

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$1.71 DOP 102

$3.00 ฿97.4

-43.00%

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

$0.71 DOP 42.21

$0.74 ฿24.11

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.76

$0.37 ฿11.88

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 DOP 147

$2.44 ฿79.3

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 DOP 247

$3.61 ฿117

14.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 82.4

$2.26 ฿73.5

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 DOP 52.3

$1.84 ฿59.8

-52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 DOP 51.5

$2.24 ฿73.0

-61.16%

Eggs

$2.03 DOP 121

$2.32 ฿75.3

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 DOP 373

$19.67 ฿639

-68.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 DOP 315

$3.65 ฿119

44.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.26 DOP 492

$13.10 ฿426

-36.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 DOP 179

$3.39 ฿110

-11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 51.4

$1.64 ฿53.4

-47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 DOP 83.2

$2.41 ฿78.5

-41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 DOP 97.1

$2.03 ฿66.0

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 99.1

$1.56 ฿50.6

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 DOP 100

$1.50 ฿48.66

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 DOP 31.23

$1.02 ฿33.30

-49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 DOP 38.78

$0.49 ฿15.91

32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 DOP 251

$4.45 ฿145

-5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 DOP 491

$18.88 ฿614

-56.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 DOP 154

$1.78 ฿57.7

45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 DOP 175

$2.75 ฿89.5

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 DOP 48.59

$1.40 ฿45.54

-41.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 201

$3.12 ฿101

8.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 DOP 63.3

$1.00 ฿32.48

6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 DOP 355

$14.09 ฿458

-57.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 73.2

$1.35 ฿43.93

-8.89%

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

$26.3K DOP 1.6M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-3.14%

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

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.19%

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

$50.8 DOP 3,026

$125 ฿4,063

-59.32%

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

$16.94 DOP 1,008

$13.57 ฿441

24.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.28 DOP 2,159

$18.52 ฿602

95.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 DOP 397

$9.19 ฿299

-27.42%

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

$265 DOP 15.7K

$698 ฿22.7K

-62.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,067 DOP 480.2K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-48.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 DOP 3,645

$57.8 ฿1,878

6.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 DOP 3,097

$35.24 ฿1,146

47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 DOP 5,820

$113 ฿3,677

-13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 DOP 6,951

$86.4 ฿2,808

35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 DOP 18.0K

$616 ฿20.0K

-50.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 DOP 15.2K

$446 ฿14.5K

-42.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 DOP 43.4K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-64.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 DOP 31.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-64.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

5.33

142.03%

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

Last update for Samana: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Samana and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Samana vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $292 per month, with Samana 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

Samana vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samana is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,260 in Samana and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $303 in Samana versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Samana versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Samana – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $840 in Samana versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samana but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samana 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, Samana and Phuket 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 Samana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.