Koh SamuivsSurat Thani
💰
Surat Thani saves you $750/month
54% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Koh Samui has 2x faster internet
80 Mbps avg download speed
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Koh Samui
Surat Thani
Total Budget
$1,400/mo
$650/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$450/mo
$190/mo ✓
Coworking
$190/mo
$55/mo ✓
Meal Out
$2
$2
Coffee
$3
$1.8 ✓
Surat Thani is $750/mo cheaper (115% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇹🇭 Koh Samui
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇹🇭 Surat Thani
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Koh Samui
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp25°C
Rainy Days218/year
Best months: February, March, April
Surat Thani
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days228/year
Best months: January, February, March
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
24°26°
Apr
27°29°
Jul
26°27°
Oct
25°26°
Koh SamuiSurat Thani
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Koh Samui
🇹🇭Surat Thani
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,400
$650
Winner📶
Internet Speed
80 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.1/10
Winner3.5/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
Winner4/10
🚶
Walkability
3/10
5/10
Winner👥
Community
medium
Winnersmall
4
Koh Samui wins
vs
2
Surat Thani wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Surat Thani
$750/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Koh Samui
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Koh Samui
World-famous nightlife scene
🇹🇭Koh Samui
Pros
- +Beautiful tropical beaches crystal-clear waters year-round
- +More affordable than Phuket with similar island lifestyle
- +Reliable fiber internet across most areas
- +DTV visa available for long-term stays up to 5 years
Cons
- −Taxi mafia makes transport expensive without scooter
- −Smaller nomad community compared to Chiang Mai or Bali
- −Rainy season October-November can be intense
- −Limited walkability between areas need transport
🇹🇭Surat Thani
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living
- +Gateway to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao islands
- +Khao Sok National Park nearby
- +Authentic Thai culture without tourist crowds
Cons
- −Small digital nomad community
- −Limited coworking space options
- −Hot and humid year-round climate
- −Heavy monsoon rains May-November
