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Compare cities โบ Gangneung vs Koh Samui
Gangneung 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 Gangneung
๐น๐ญ Koh SamuiKoh Samui is 11% cheaper than Gangneung
Living on $1,873 a month in Gangneung feels like about $1,942 in Koh Samui โ same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.
Cheaper on how many of 20 items?
Gangneung 4tie 0Koh Samui 16
One day's budget in Gangneung ($130) lasts 1.3 days in Koh Samui
Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis โ see your real monthly difference ยท free
โบ
Per day
$130 vs $96.4
Per month
$1,873 vs $1,942
Local meal
โฉ 10,000 vs เธฟ 120
$7.25 vs $3.64
Taxi 5 km
โฉ 7,100 vs เธฟ 150
$5.14 vs $4.55
At a glance
FoodKoh Samui 39% cheaper
Cafรฉs & drinksKoh Samui 21% cheaper
TransportGangneung 12% cheaper
StayGangneung 11% cheaper
Funsimilar
- Where Koh Samui is clearly cheaper: Laundry (74%โ), Massage (72%โ), SIM card (58%โ)
- Where Gangneung is clearly cheaper: Transit (38%โ), Studio rent (month) (33%โ), Entry ticket (28%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Enter a monthly income in Gangneung to see what gives the same standard of living in Koh Samui. Starts at the average Gangneung salary.
Travel difficulty
Gangneung
Koh Samui
Overall
Easy1.8
Moderate2.8
Rip-offs & haggling
1
4
Language
4
3
Getting around
2
3
Payments
1
2
Safety
1
2
Gangneung is easier to travel (1.8 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Gangneung 1 vs Koh Samui 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Gangneung | Koh Samui | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | เธฟ 120$3.64 | Koh Samui โ50% |
| Street food1 item | โฉ 6,000$4.35 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Koh Samui โ51% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฉ 20,000$14.5 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Koh Samui โ16% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | เธฟ 90$2.73 | Koh Samui โ25% |
| 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 1,800$1.3 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Koh Samui โ30% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฉ 7,100$5.14 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Koh Samui โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฉ 4,600$3.33 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Koh Samui โ9% |
| Transitone ride | โฉ 1,300$0.94 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Gangneung โ38% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฉ 17,000$12.3 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Koh Samui โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฉ 100,000$72.5 | เธฟ 1,800$54.5 | Koh Samui โ25% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฉ 450,000$326 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Gangneung โ33% |
| Laundry | โฉ 8,000$5.8 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Koh Samui โ74% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Koh Samui โ58% |
| Haircutcut | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Koh Samui โ58% |
| Massage1 hour | โฉ 60,000$43.5 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Koh Samui โ72% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฉ 40,000$29 | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | Gangneung โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฉ 3,000$2.17 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Gangneung โ28% |
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%+.
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gangneung or Koh Samui?
Koh Samui is 11% cheaper than Gangneung. Daily budget $130 vs $96.4; a month $1,873 vs $1,942.
Which is easier to travel, Gangneung or Koh Samui?
Gangneung is easier: Gangneung 1.8/5 vs Koh Samui 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Gangneung and Koh Samui?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Gangneung is about $1,873 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.
Related comparisons
๐น๐ญ Bangkok vs ๐น๐ญ Koh Samui๐ฐ๐ท Busan vs ๐ฐ๐ท Gangneung๐น๐ญ Chiang Mai vs ๐น๐ญ Koh Samui๐จ๐ณ Chengdu vs ๐น๐ญ Koh Samui๐ฐ๐ท Daegu vs ๐ฐ๐ท Gangneung๐ฐ๐ท Daegu vs ๐น๐ญ Koh Samui๐ฐ๐ท Daejeon vs ๐น๐ญ Koh Samui๐ป๐ณ Da Nang vs ๐ฐ๐ท Gangneung