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: $1,424 in Samos versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Samos versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Samos versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Samos is 7% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 €10.21

$4.53 ฿153

156.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.90 €35.94

$46.36 ฿1,567

-11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 €6.11

$8.65 ฿292

-19.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.07

$3.09 ฿104

13.27%

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

$2.30 €2.02

$0.68 ฿22.93

238.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.37 ฿12.46

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 €4.03

$2.42 ฿81.7

89.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 €5.91

$3.81 ฿129

76.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.45

$2.18 ฿73.6

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.82 ฿61.4

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.17

$2.18 ฿73.6

13.30%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.67

$2.24 ฿75.6

86.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.86

$19.93 ฿674

-32.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 €8.82

$3.64 ฿123

175.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 €12.13

$13.56 ฿459

1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.94

$3.29 ฿111

-32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.69 ฿57.0

19.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.31

$2.33 ฿78.9

-36.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$2.03 ฿68.5

-1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.60 ฿54.1

-23.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.49 ฿50.5

-19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.01 ฿34.23

-3.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.48 ฿16.12

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 €4.78

$4.45 ฿150

22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 €6.56

$18.63 ฿630

-59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.84

$1.79 ฿60.4

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.48

$2.80 ฿94.5

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.41

$1.42 ฿47.99

12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.11 €41.39

$11.33 ฿383

315.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.98

$3.09 ฿105

46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.45 €11.82

$13.63 ฿461

-1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.95

$1.31 ฿44.31

68.70%

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

$31.9K €28.0K

$27.3K ฿922.3K

16.77%

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

$26.5K €23.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.23%

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

$217 €191

$123 ฿4,164

76.15%

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

$23.45 €20.61

$13.81 ฿467

69.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.41 €28.48

$18.52 ฿626

75.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.90 €42.97

$60.4 ฿2,041

-18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.14 €22.97

$16.80 ฿568

55.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.17

$8.89 ฿301

4.61%

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

$432 €380

$687 ฿23.2K

-37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,097 €5,357

$15.6K ฿525.7K

-60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.1

$57.6 ฿1,949

52.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.07 €33.45

$34.66 ฿1,172

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 €78.7

$115 ฿3,885

-22.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €93.2

$84.9 ฿2,871

24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 €436

$618 ฿20.9K

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €342

$443 ฿15.0K

-12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 €684

$2,047 ฿69.2K

-61.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 €552

$1,506 ฿50.9K

-58.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,735 €2,404

$3,568 ฿120.6K

-23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,699 €2,372

$2,511 ฿84.9K

7.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 €877

$503 ฿17.0K

98.49%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Samos and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samos pays 98% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $292 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.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Samos, 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: $496 in Samos versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Samos versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Samos pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,424 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.