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Koh Samui vs Malé cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Koh Samui
🇲🇻 Malé
At a glance
- Where Malé is clearly cheaper: Taxi (57%↓), Transit (57%↓), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (36%↓)
- Where Koh Samui is clearly cheaper: Massage (75%↓), Beer (71%↓), Cocktail & wine (55%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Malé is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Koh Samui 4 vs Malé 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Koh Samui | Malé | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 120$3.64 | Rf 100$6.49 | Koh Samui −44% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 70$2.12 | Rf 25$1.62 | Malé −24% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 400$12.1 | Rf 220$14.3 | Koh Samui −15% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 90$2.73 | Rf 50$3.24 | Koh Samui −16% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 100$3.03 | Rf 160$10.4 | Koh Samui −71% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 220$6.67 | Rf 230$14.9 | Koh Samui −55% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | Rf 5$0.32 | Koh Samui −7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 30$0.91 | Rf 12$0.78 | Malé −14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 150$4.55 | Rf 30$1.95 | Malé −57% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 100$3.03 | Rf 30$1.95 | Malé −36% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 50$1.52 | Rf 10$0.65 | Malé −57% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | Rf 250$16.2 | Koh Samui −53% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,800$54.5 | Rf 1,700$110 | Koh Samui −51% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 16,000$485 | Rf 13,500$875 | Koh Samui −45% |
| Laundry | ฿ 50$1.52 | Rf 30$1.95 | Koh Samui −22% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | Rf 310$20.1 | Koh Samui −55% |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | Rf 75$4.86 | Koh Samui −7% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 400$12.1 | Rf 750$48.6 | Koh Samui −75% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 1,200$36.4 | Rf 700$45.4 | Koh Samui −20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 100$3.03 | Rf 100$6.49 | Koh Samui −53% |
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 Samui or Malé?
Koh Samui is 36% cheaper than Malé. Daily budget $96.4 vs $158; a month $1,942 vs $2,919.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Samui or Malé?
Malé is easier: Malé 2.0/5 vs Koh Samui 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Samui and Malé?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Samui is about $1,942 and Malé about $2,919 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.