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Da Nang vs Koh Samui cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Da Nang
๐น๐ญ Koh Samui
At a glance
- Where Da Nang is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (69%โ), Beer (62%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Da Nang 3 vs Koh Samui 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Da Nang | Koh Samui | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 50,000$1.9 | เธฟ 120$3.64 | Da Nang โ48% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Da Nang โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 250,000$9.51 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Da Nang โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | เธฟ 90$2.73 | Da Nang โ37% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 30,000$1.14 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Da Nang โ62% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | เธฟ 220$6.67 | Da Nang โ32% |
| Bottled water | โซ 7,000$0.27 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Da Nang โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Da Nang โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 60,000$2.28 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Da Nang โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Da Nang โ69% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Da Nang โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Da Nang โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | เธฟ 1,800$54.5 | Da Nang โ44% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,000,000$342 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Da Nang โ29% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Da Nang โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Da Nang โ16% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Da Nang โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Da Nang โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 550,000$20.9 | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | Da Nang โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 60,000$2.28 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Da Nang โ25% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Da Nang or Koh Samui?
Da Nang is 37% cheaper than Koh Samui. Daily budget $56.5 vs $96.4; a month $1,303 vs $1,942.
Which is easier to travel, Da Nang or Koh Samui?
About the same: Da Nang 2.6/5, Koh Samui 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Da Nang and Koh Samui?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Da Nang is about $1,303 and Koh Samui about $1,942 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.