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Daegu 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
๐ฐ๐ท Daegu
๐น๐ญ Koh Samui
At a glance
- Where Koh Samui is clearly cheaper: Laundry (77%โ), Massage (72%โ), SIM card (58%โ)
- Where Daegu is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (80%โ), Studio rent (month) (33%โ), Transit (28%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Daegu is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Daegu 1 vs Koh Samui 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Daegu | Koh Samui | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฉ 9,500$6.88 | เธฟ 120$3.64 | Koh Samui โ47% |
| Street food1 item | โฉ 4,000$2.9 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Koh Samui โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฉ 25,000$18.1 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Koh Samui โ33% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | เธฟ 90$2.73 | Koh Samui โ16% |
| Beerone bottle | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Koh Samui โ16% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฉ 12,000$8.7 | เธฟ 220$6.67 | Koh Samui โ23% |
| Bottled water | โฉ 1,000$0.72 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Koh Samui โ58% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Koh Samui โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฉ 7,100$5.14 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Koh Samui โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฉ 4,700$3.41 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Koh Samui โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฉ 1,500$1.09 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Daegu โ28% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Koh Samui โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฉ 85,000$61.6 | เธฟ 1,800$54.5 | Koh Samui โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฉ 450,000$326 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Daegu โ33% |
| Laundry | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Koh Samui โ77% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Koh Samui โ58% |
| Haircutcut | โฉ 14,000$10.1 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Koh Samui โ55% |
| Massage1 hour | โฉ 60,000$43.5 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Koh Samui โ72% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | Daegu โ80% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Koh Samui โ58% |
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, Daegu or Koh Samui?
Daegu and Koh Samui cost about the same. Daily budget $122 vs $96.4; a month $1,741 vs $1,942.
Which is easier to travel, Daegu or Koh Samui?
Daegu is easier: Daegu 1.4/5 vs Koh Samui 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Daegu and Koh Samui?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Daegu is about $1,741 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.