Cost of Living Comparison Between Samos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Samos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,426 in Samos versus $1,261 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Samos is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 €9.85

$4.56 ฿150

149.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.16 €35.69

$46.63 ฿1,533

-11.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 €5.86

$8.47 ฿278

-20.19%

Cappuccino

$3.51 €3.04

$3.03 ฿99.5

15.84%

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

$2.26 €1.96

$0.69 ฿22.65

227.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$0.37 ฿12.03

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 €4.05

$2.49 ฿81.8

87.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 €5.70

$3.66 ฿120

79.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$2.18 ฿71.7

-20.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.90 ฿62.5

-25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.09

$2.20 ฿72.3

9.55%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.65

$2.22 ฿73.1

89.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €11.72

$19.99 ฿657

-32.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 €8.41

$3.66 ฿120

165.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 €11.88

$13.25 ฿436

3.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$3.23 ฿106

-33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.70 ฿55.8

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.39 ฿78.7

-36.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.08 ฿68.3

-0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.59 ฿52.3

-20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.48 ฿48.76

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 €0.85

$1.03 ฿33.85

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.52 ฿16.99

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 €4.69

$4.25 ฿140

27.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.18

$18.79 ฿618

-62.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.76 ฿57.8

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.76 ฿90.6

-1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.36 ฿44.73

16.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.42

$11.36 ฿374

310.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.11

$3.14 ฿103

50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 €11.96

$13.77 ฿452

0.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.34 ฿44.20

70.90%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$27.7K ฿909.7K

11.76%

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

$26.1K €22.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-22.97%

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

$217 €188

$124 ฿4,062

75.77%

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

$23.16 €20.09

$13.52 ฿444

71.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.55 €28.23

$18.69 ฿614

74.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.96

$61.8 ฿2,032

-21.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.50 €22.98

$17.25 ฿567

53.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.77 €8.47

$9.14 ฿300

6.89%

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

$418 €363

$703 ฿23.1K

-40.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,984 €5,189

$15.9K ฿521.7K

-62.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €77.0

$59.5 ฿1,955

49.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 €32.84

$35.07 ฿1,153

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 €77.4

$115 ฿3,789

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €91.2

$84.1 ฿2,763

25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 €424

$619 ฿20.3K

-20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 €335

$433 ฿14.2K

-10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €684

$2,062 ฿67.8K

-61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €542

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-58.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,704 €2,345

$3,646 ฿119.8K

-25.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,471 €2,143

$2,626 ฿86.3K

-5.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,031 €894

$507 ฿16.7K

103.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

5.33

-16.89%

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

Last update for Samos: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Samos and $619 in Phuket. 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: $41.00 in Samos vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $293 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

Samos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Samos pays 103% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $489 in Samos versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Samos versus $703 in Phuket. 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, Samos 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 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.