Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Sakhon and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Sakhon: $935 a month against $1,113 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Samut Sakhon, Thailand
Koh Phangan, Thailand
Samut Sakhon
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Koh Phangan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,113
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samut Sakhon and in Koh Phangan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samut Sakhon and in Koh Phangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Samut Sakhon versus $1,113 in Koh Phangan.

  • Samut Sakhon $935
  • Koh Phangan $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,504 in Samut Sakhon versus $1,886 in Koh Phangan.

  • Samut Sakhon $1,504
  • Koh Phangan $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,074 in Samut Sakhon versus $2,659 in Koh Phangan.

  • Samut Sakhon $2,074
  • Koh Phangan $2,659

Living in Samut Sakhon costs roughly 16% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samut Sakhon 31% lower, Koh Phangan 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.74 ฿58.7
$4.11 ฿139
-57.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.65 ฿595
$29.64 ฿1,000
-40.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.84 ฿197
$7.86 ฿265
-25.70%
Cappuccino
$1.18 ฿39.73
$2.46 ฿82.9
-52.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿12.62
$0.79 ฿26.71
-53.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ฿9.16
$0.45 ฿15.25
-40.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.90 ฿64.0
$2.32 ฿78.3
-18.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 ฿90.9
$3.25 ฿110
-16.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ฿52.9
$1.64 ฿55.2
-4.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.69
$1.33 ฿44.86
6.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿47.26
$1.43 ฿48.22
-2.10%
Eggs
$2.22 ฿75.0
$1.97 ฿66.3
12.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.45 ฿521
$18.20 ฿614
-15.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$3.26 ฿110
-22.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.14 ฿342
$10.79 ฿364
-6.02%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 ฿120
$2.74 ฿92.5
29.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ฿40.36
$1.52 ฿51.5
-21.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 ฿62.3
$2.14 ฿72.3
-13.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.87 ฿63.1
$2.02 ฿68.2
-7.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.60
$1.43 ฿48.11
-13.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.14
$1.25 ฿42.04
-16.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ฿41.19
$1.07 ฿36.08
14.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 ฿14.45
$0.52 ฿17.55
-17.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.22 ฿142
$4.03 ฿136
4.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.14 ฿612
$17.37 ฿586
4.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.6
$1.68 ฿56.9
3.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 ฿99.5
$2.62 ฿88.6
12.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 ฿13.07
$1.37 ฿46.11
-71.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ฿1,850
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ฿35.50
$1.30 ฿43.88
-19.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.85
$0.64 ฿21.51
75.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 ฿122
$3.38 ฿114
7.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ฿39.57
$1.34 ฿45.21
-12.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.9K ฿1.5M
$23.8K ฿804.4K
88.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K ฿911.3K
$23.6K ฿797.8K
14.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.8 ฿3,164
$96.7 ฿3,262
-3.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.33 ฿382
$11.14 ฿376
1.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.04 ฿642
$17.06 ฿576
11.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.3 ฿1,697
$68.5 ฿2,312
-26.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.99 ฿506
$11.07 ฿373
35.41%
Cinema Ticket
$7.72 ฿261
$7.38 ฿249
4.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$619 ฿20.9K
$534 ฿18.0K
15.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K ฿718.4K
$18.9K ฿636.7K
12.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.60 ฿1,674
$62.5 ฿2,108
-20.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.66 ฿1,001
$28.08 ฿947
5.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.1 ฿3,141
$96.1 ฿3,243
-3.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.5 ฿2,581
$87.5 ฿2,951
-12.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$494 ฿16.7K
2.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 ฿10.8K
$354 ฿11.9K
-9.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 ฿39.1K
$1,367 ฿46.1K
-15.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$776 ฿26.2K
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-22.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,033 ฿68.6K
$2,938 ฿99.1K
-30.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,580 ฿53.3K
$2,353 ฿79.4K
-32.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samut Sakhon
Koh Phangan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$712 ฿24.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
5.57
7.00%

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

Last update for Samut Sakhon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Samut Sakhon
$320
Koh Phangan
$354 10.7% $34
Groceries & Markets
Samut Sakhon
$242
Koh Phangan
$254 4.8% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Sakhon
$124
Koh Phangan
$125 0.6% $0.7
Clothing & Footwear
Samut Sakhon
$112
Koh Phangan
$123 10.2% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Samut Sakhon
$66
Koh Phangan
$83 26.7% $18
Eating Out
Samut Sakhon
$63
Koh Phangan
$109 73% $46
Getting Around
Samut Sakhon
$8.2 *
Koh Phangan
$65 689% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Samut Sakhon and $494 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Samut Sakhon vs $30 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $254 per month, with Samut Sakhon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Samut Sakhon
🇹🇭 Koh Phangan
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
21:16 9:16 PM
Same time as Samut Sakhon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,515
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samut Sakhon Koh Phangan 420 km
From you
  • Samut Sakhon
  • Koh Phangan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Samut Sakhon vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Samut Sakhon and in Koh Phangan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Samut Sakhon and $1,113 in Koh Phangan, so Samut Sakhon is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Samut Sakhon compared to Koh Phangan?
You’d need roughly $1,402 in Samut Sakhon and $1,670 in Koh Phangan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Samut Sakhon and in Koh Phangan?
Rent for a central apartment: $509 in Samut Sakhon versus $494 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Samut Sakhon or Koh Phangan?
All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Samut Sakhon versus $1,113 in Koh Phangan – Samut Sakhon is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How does quality of life compare between Samut Sakhon and Koh Phangan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Samut Sakhon or Koh Phangan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Samut Sakhon and Koh Phangan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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