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Koh Samui vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Koh Samui
🇹🇭 Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Transit (20%↓), Half-day tour (17%↓), Convenience store (17%↓)
- Where Koh Samui is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (50%↓), Taxi (25%↓), Bottled water (17%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Koh Samui | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 120$3.64 | ฿ 130$3.94 | Koh Samui −8% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 70$2.12 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Koh Samui −13% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 400$12.1 | ฿ 450$13.6 | Koh Samui −11% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 90$2.73 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Phuket −11% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 110$3.33 | Koh Samui −9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 220$6.67 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Koh Samui −12% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | ฿ 12$0.36 | Koh Samui −17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 30$0.91 | ฿ 25$0.76 | Phuket −17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 150$4.55 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Koh Samui −25% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 100$3.03 | similar |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 50$1.52 | ฿ 40$1.21 | Phuket −20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | ฿ 300$9.09 | Koh Samui −17% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,800$54.5 | ฿ 2,000$60.6 | Koh Samui −10% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 16,000$485 | ฿ 16,000$485 | similar |
| Laundry | ฿ 50$1.52 | ฿ 50$1.52 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | ฿ 299$9.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | ฿ 150$4.55 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 400$12.1 | ฿ 350$10.6 | Phuket −12% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 1,200$36.4 | ฿ 1,000$30.3 | Phuket −17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Koh Samui −50% |
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 Phuket?
Koh Samui is 8% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $96.4 vs $109; a month $1,942 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Samui or Phuket?
About the same: Koh Samui 2.8/5, Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Samui and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Samui is about $1,942 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.