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: $1,390 in Samos versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in Samos versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,746 in Samos versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Samos is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Samos is 4% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 €9.80

$4.66 ฿150

146.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.38 €34.45

$46.44 ฿1,496

-13.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 €6.05

$8.68 ฿280

-18.32%

Cappuccino

$3.52 €3.01

$2.95 ฿95.0

19.32%

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

$2.27 €1.94

$0.70 ฿22.52

224.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.64

$0.39 ฿12.70

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 €4.05

$2.53 ฿81.6

87.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 €5.64

$3.78 ฿122

75.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.46

$2.22 ฿71.5

-22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.80 ฿57.8

-17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.19 ฿70.4

9.13%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.49

$2.31 ฿74.5

77.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 €11.45

$19.34 ฿623

-30.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 €8.21

$3.77 ฿121

155.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 €11.69

$13.22 ฿426

3.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$3.33 ฿107

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.65 ฿53.1

24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.22

$2.29 ฿73.7

-37.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.99 ฿64.1

2.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.53 ฿49.24

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.51 ฿48.77

-17.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.84

$1.03 ฿33.12

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.64

$0.51 ฿16.57

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 €4.61

$4.41 ฿142

22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$19.41 ฿625

-61.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.80 ฿58.0

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.68 ฿86.4

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.43 ฿46.11

6.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.18 €39.39

$11.70 ฿377

294.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.04

$3.04 ฿97.9

55.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.65 €11.65

$13.68 ฿441

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.30 ฿41.85

67.69%

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

$31.2K €26.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

11.69%

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

$26.2K €22.4K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-20.63%

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

$219 €187

$123 ฿3,962

77.82%

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

$23.12 €19.72

$13.82 ฿445

67.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.90 €28.06

$18.86 ฿608

74.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.88 €40.84

$61.2 ฿1,970

-21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €22.56

$16.81 ฿541

57.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.28 €7.92

$8.87 ฿286

4.62%

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

$431 €368

$696 ฿22.4K

-38.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,938 €5,066

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-63.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €75.2

$59.3 ฿1,910

48.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 €32.38

$34.85 ฿1,123

8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €75.6

$113 ฿3,646

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.4

$85.1 ฿2,740

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 €416

$615 ฿19.8K

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 €329

$448 ฿14.4K

-13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 €651

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-63.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 €519

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-59.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 €2,629

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-17.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 €1,902

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-16.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 €905

$534 ฿17.2K

98.79%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Samos and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samos pays 99% 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: $40 in Samos vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $291 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Samos pays 99% 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: $487 in Samos versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Samos versus $696 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 $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,390 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 9% less than in Samos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.