Cost of Living Comparison Between Samaxi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Samaxi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Samaxi versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,890 in Samaxi versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,704 in Samaxi versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Samaxi costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samaxi 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 ₼30.07

$4.56 ฿149

287.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 ₼90.9

$46.63 ฿1,519

14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 ₼16.45

$8.47 ฿276

14.29%

Cappuccino

$4.18 ₼7.10

$3.03 ฿98.6

37.95%

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

$1.29 ₼2.19

$0.69 ฿22.45

86.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₼0.61

$0.37 ฿11.92

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 ₼2.55

$2.49 ฿81.0

-39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₼4.54

$3.66 ฿119

-27.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₼2.48

$2.18 ฿71.0

-33.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₼0.98

$1.90 ฿62.0

-69.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 ₼5.10

$2.20 ฿71.6

36.36%

Eggs

$1.43 ₼2.43

$2.22 ฿72.4

-35.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 ₼12.09

$19.99 ฿651

-64.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 ₼9.72

$3.66 ฿119

56.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 ₼19.15

$13.25 ฿432

-14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₼2.57

$3.23 ฿105

-53.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ₼2.83

$1.70 ฿55.3

-1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₼2.92

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ₼3.45

$2.08 ฿67.7

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₼1.15

$1.59 ฿51.8

-57.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₼1.03

$1.03 ฿33.54

-41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₼0.97

$0.52 ฿16.83

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 ₼5.93

$4.25 ฿138

-17.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 ₼18.06

$18.79 ฿612

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₼2.96

$1.76 ฿57.2

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₼4.82

$2.76 ฿89.8

2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₼0.48

$1.36 ฿44.32

-79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.94 ₼25.39

$11.36 ฿370

31.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₼2.93

$3.14 ฿102

-45.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ₼2.04

$1.04 ฿33.74

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 ₼4.91

$13.77 ฿448

-79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 ₼1.05

$1.34 ฿43.79

-53.73%

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

$23.5K ₼39.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-15.21%

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

$25.1K ₼42.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-25.82%

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

$57.7 ₼98.0

$124 ฿4,025

-53.34%

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

$14.90 ₼25.33

$13.52 ฿440

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.14 ₼39.33

$18.69 ฿609

23.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 ₼49.94

$61.8 ฿2,013

-52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 ₼25.47

$17.25 ฿562

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 ₼12.04

$9.14 ฿298

-22.43%

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

$231 ₼392

$703 ฿22.9K

-67.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₼20.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-25.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.94 ₼81.5

$59.5 ฿1,937

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 ₼99.9

$35.07 ฿1,142

67.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₼201

$115 ฿3,754

2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ₼231

$84.1 ฿2,737

61.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₼649

$619 ฿20.1K

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₼506

$433 ฿14.1K

-31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₼1,197

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-65.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 ₼1,520

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,024 ₼3,440

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₼2,000

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-55.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₼583

$507 ฿16.5K

-32.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Samaxi: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Samaxi and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% 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: $53.0 in Samaxi vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $293, with Samaxi cheaper for home cooking.

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

Samaxi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samaxi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 48% 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: $382 in Samaxi versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $231 in Samaxi versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,077 in Samaxi versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samaxi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samaxi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samaxi 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, Samaxi 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 Samaxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.