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Koh Chang vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Koh Chang
🇹🇭 Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Transit (33%↓)
- Where Koh Chang is clearly cheaper: Taxi (50%↓), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (40%↓), Studio rent (month) (38%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Phuket is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Koh Chang 3 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Koh Chang | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 130$3.94 | Koh Chang −23% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 80$2.42 | ฿ 80$2.42 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 350$10.6 | ฿ 450$13.6 | Koh Chang −22% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 70$2.12 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Koh Chang −13% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 90$2.73 | ฿ 110$3.33 | Koh Chang −18% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 200$6.06 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Koh Chang −20% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | ฿ 12$0.36 | Koh Chang −17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 20$0.61 | ฿ 25$0.76 | Koh Chang −20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Koh Chang −50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 60$1.82 | ฿ 100$3.03 | Koh Chang −40% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 60$1.82 | ฿ 40$1.21 | Phuket −33% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 300$9.09 | ฿ 300$9.09 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,500$45.5 | ฿ 2,000$60.6 | Koh Chang −25% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 10,000$303 | ฿ 16,000$485 | Koh Chang −38% |
| Laundry | ฿ 50$1.52 | ฿ 50$1.52 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 300$9.09 | ฿ 299$9.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 170$5.15 | ฿ 150$4.55 | Phuket −12% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 400$12.1 | ฿ 350$10.6 | Phuket −12% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 800$24.2 | ฿ 1,000$30.3 | Koh Chang −20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 200$6.06 | ฿ 200$6.06 | similar |
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, Koh Chang or Phuket?
Koh Chang is 31% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $78.8 vs $109; a month $1,338 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Chang or Phuket?
Phuket is easier: Phuket 2.8/5 vs Koh Chang 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Chang and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Chang is about $1,338 and Phuket about $2,006 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.