Cost of Living Comparison Between Samsun and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Samsun and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Samsun versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,509 in Samsun versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,027 in Samsun versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Samsun costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samsun 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.65 β‚Ί351
$4.70 ΰΈΏ153
62.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.10 β‚Ί1,153
$45.37 ΰΈΏ1,482
-44.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.99 β‚Ί413
$8.43 ΰΈΏ275
6.64%
Cappuccino
$2.81 β‚Ί129
$2.93 ΰΈΏ95.6
-4.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 β‚Ί59.9
$0.69 ΰΈΏ22.40
88.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 β‚Ί10.97
$0.37 ΰΈΏ11.99
-35.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.84 β‚Ί130
$2.41 ΰΈΏ78.6
17.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 β‚Ί136
$3.72 ΰΈΏ122
-20.16%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 β‚Ί48.41
$2.23 ΰΈΏ72.9
-52.91%
White Bread (500g)
$0.40 β‚Ί18.32
$1.83 ΰΈΏ59.8
-78.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.90 β‚Ί179
$2.17 ΰΈΏ70.8
79.72%
Eggs
$1.71 β‚Ί78.6
$2.21 ΰΈΏ72.3
-22.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 β‚Ί418
$19.74 ΰΈΏ645
-53.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.02 β‚Ί460
$3.63 ΰΈΏ119
176.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.35 β‚Ί889
$13.53 ΰΈΏ442
43.02%
Apples (1kg)
$1.30 β‚Ί59.6
$3.28 ΰΈΏ107
-60.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 β‚Ί51.3
$1.61 ΰΈΏ52.6
-30.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.92 β‚Ί42.10
$2.41 ΰΈΏ78.6
-61.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.24 β‚Ί57.1
$2.08 ΰΈΏ68.1
-40.38%
Potato (1kg)
$0.60 β‚Ί27.70
$1.53 ΰΈΏ49.93
-60.78%
Onion (1kg)
$0.60 β‚Ί27.77
$1.48 ΰΈΏ48.36
-59.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 β‚Ί33.76
$0.99 ΰΈΏ32.29
-26.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 β‚Ί31.29
$0.51 ΰΈΏ16.67
33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.04 β‚Ί93.9
$4.41 ΰΈΏ144
-53.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.62 β‚Ί442
$19.38 ΰΈΏ633
-50.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 β‚Ί92.5
$1.78 ΰΈΏ58.1
12.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 β‚Ί115
$2.71 ΰΈΏ88.6
-7.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.59 β‚Ί27.00
$1.37 ΰΈΏ44.79
-56.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.66 β‚Ί444
$11.39 ΰΈΏ372
-15.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 β‚Ί104
$3.02 ΰΈΏ98.6
-25.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 β‚Ί27.90
$0.99 ΰΈΏ32.48
-38.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.65 β‚Ί214
$14.10 ΰΈΏ461
-67.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 β‚Ί51.8
$1.36 ΰΈΏ44.51
-16.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.8K β‚Ί2.0M
$28.2K ΰΈΏ921.1K
51.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$49.6K β‚Ί2.3M
$32.9K ΰΈΏ1.1M
50.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$49.83 β‚Ί2,290
$122 ΰΈΏ3,975
-59.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.99 β‚Ί505
$13.57 ΰΈΏ443
-19.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.23 β‚Ί516
$18.31 ΰΈΏ598
-38.67%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.3 β‚Ί3,780
$60.2 ΰΈΏ1,967
36.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14 ΰΈΏ560
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.75 β‚Ί264
$8.69 ΰΈΏ284
-33.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$500 β‚Ί23.0K
$693 ΰΈΏ22.6K
-27.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,735 β‚Ί171.6K
$15.7K ΰΈΏ512.3K
-76.19%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.79 β‚Ί1,736
$59.5 ΰΈΏ1,944
-36.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.67 β‚Ί2,098
$34.77 ΰΈΏ1,136
31.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 β‚Ί4,033
$115 ΰΈΏ3,743
-23.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.24 β‚Ί2,079
$83.3 ΰΈΏ2,720
-45.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 β‚Ί23.0K
$613 ΰΈΏ20.0K
-18.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$328 β‚Ί15.1K
$437 ΰΈΏ14.3K
-25.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$724 β‚Ί33.3K
$2,094 ΰΈΏ68.4K
-65.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$523 β‚Ί24.0K
$1,509 ΰΈΏ49.3K
-65.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$795 β‚Ί36.5K
$3,749 ΰΈΏ122.5K
-78.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$429 β‚Ί19.7K
$2,616 ΰΈΏ85.4K
-83.60%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Samsun
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,006 β‚Ί46.2K
$508 ΰΈΏ16.6K
98.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.33
5.33
712.95%

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

Last update for Samsun: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Samsun and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samsun pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Samsun vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $293 per month, with Samsun 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
Samsun vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Samsun?
Samsun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Samsun or Phuket?
Samsun pays 98% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Samsun and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Samsun versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $500 in Samsun versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Samsun and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Samsun or Phuket?
At $991 in Samsun versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samsun but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samsun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Samsun or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Samsun 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.
Which city is safer, Samsun or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Samsun 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Samsun vs other spots: cost of living compared

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