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Koh Samui vs Suwon cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Koh Samui
๐ฐ๐ท Suwon
At a glance
- Where Suwon is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (52%โ), Transit (23%โ)
- Where Koh Samui is clearly cheaper: Laundry (77%โ), Massage (67%โ), SIM card (62%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Suwon is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Koh Samui 4 vs Suwon 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Koh Samui | Suwon | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 120$3.64 | โฉ 9,500$6.88 | Koh Samui โ47% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 70$2.12 | โฉ 4,000$2.9 | Koh Samui โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โฉ 22,000$15.9 | Koh Samui โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 90$2.73 | โฉ 4,700$3.41 | Koh Samui โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | Koh Samui โ16% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 220$6.67 | โฉ 12,000$8.7 | Koh Samui โ23% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โฉ 1,100$0.8 | Koh Samui โ62% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Koh Samui โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฉ 8,000$5.8 | Koh Samui โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 5,100$3.7 | Koh Samui โ18% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โฉ 1,600$1.16 | Suwon โ23% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,800$54.5 | โฉ 90,000$65.2 | Koh Samui โ16% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 16,000$485 | โฉ 600,000$435 | Suwon โ10% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | Koh Samui โ77% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โฉ 33,000$23.9 | Koh Samui โ62% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฉ 13,000$9.42 | Koh Samui โ52% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โฉ 50,000$36.2 | Koh Samui โ67% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | โฉ 50,000$36.2 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Suwon โ52% |
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 Suwon?
Koh Samui is 14% cheaper than Suwon. Daily budget $96.4 vs $125; a month $1,942 vs $1,999.
Which is easier to travel, Koh Samui or Suwon?
Suwon is easier: Suwon 1.6/5 vs Koh Samui 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Koh Samui and Suwon?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Koh Samui is about $1,942 and Suwon about $1,999 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.