Koh Samui at a glance
- Koh Samui ranks 10th of 11 priced cities in Thailand on cost: $774 a month in essentials, 102% above Udon Thani, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $396 covers that 0.5×.
- 92.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.4 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 11 Thailand cities we track, so every row says whether Koh Samui is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $774 | $565 | 1.37× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $422 | $277 | 1.52× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $835 | $466 | 1.79× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $95 | $95 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $113 | $84 | 1.35× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $99 | $98 | $1 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $45 | $22 | 2.05× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $396 | $589 | 1.49× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,385 | $515 | 2.69× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,810 | $882 | 2.05× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Koh Samui, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.53 | $2.94 | 1.54× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $30.17 | $27.16 | $3.01 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.75 | $6.85 | 1.28× as much |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.17 | $1.97 | $0.20 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.41 | $2.11 | $0.30 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.62 | $3.57 | $0.05 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.79 | $0.73 | $0.06 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.46 | $0.31 | 1.48× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.47 | $1.82 | $0.35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.44 | $1.42 | $0.02 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.52 | $1.29 | $0.23 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.16 | $2.09 | $0.07 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $19.69 | $15.63 | 1.26× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.31 | $2.68 | $0.37 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.96 | $2.92 | $0.04 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.13 | $1.95 | $0.18 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.51 | $1.49 | $0.02 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.37 | $1.06 | 1.29× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.49 | $0.46 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.51 | $0.82 | 1.84× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $45.26 | $22.32 | 2.03× as much |
| Taxi start | $3.02 | $1.23 | 2.46× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.06 | $1.10 | $0.04 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.44 | $1.36 | $0.08 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $81.97 | $83.61 | $1.64 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.42 | $17.81 | $0.39 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $11.13 | $12.53 | $1.40 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $40.73 | $48.02 | $7.29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.03 | $6.55 | $0.52 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Koh Samui has 92.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 14th-highest of 17 Thailand cities we track. Thailand's national figure is 102.5, so Koh Samui runs 10 below the country as a whole.
Every Thailand region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Koh Samui ranks against every city we track
Koh Samui sits ahead of 87% of the 912 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On safety it is ahead of 78% of 700. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 7% of 544.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Koh Samui sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Koh Samui on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Koh Samui beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Koh Samui in the research deskOr unlock the Thailand deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Yavor Punchev, Unsplash License.
Data updated