Cost of Living in Koh Samui

Koh Samui's rental market splits clearly by area and style. Chaweng, the island's commercial heart, offers the widest selection of modern condos and serviced apartments but commands the highest rents — expect 15,000-25,000 THB ($440-735) for a furnished one-bedroom and upwards of 30,000 THB for anything beachfront. Lamai, ten minutes south, delivers a similar east-coast beach feel at roughly 20% less, with studios from 8,000-12,000 THB and one-bedrooms from 12,000-20,000 THB, making it the island's sweet spot for nomads who want convenience without Chaweng's tourist-strip prices. Bophut and its Fisherman's Village waterfront have become the expat-favorite zone, with charming low-rise apartments and townhouses running 10,000-20,000 THB, plus easy access to cafes, coworking, and a weekly walking street. Maenam, on the quieter northern shore, is ideal for deep-focus work: long-term studios start around 7,000-12,000 THB and small houses with gardens go for 15,000-25,000 THB, though you trade nightlife for solitude. Nathon, the administrative port town on the west coast, is the cheapest area with basic apartments from 6,000-10,000 THB, but its local-town vibe and limited dining options mean it suits only the most budget-focused residents.

Koh Samui's food scene punches well above its island weight, offering everything from 50-baht roadside pad thai to multi-course beachfront dinners. Street food stalls and simple Thai shophouses clustered around Nathon, Lamai, and the inland roads off Chaweng serve curries, fried rice, and noodle soups for 50-100 THB ($1.50-$3), while a proper sit-down Thai meal at a mid-range restaurant runs 200-500 THB ($6-$15) per person. Western cafes and brunch spots, particularly along Chaweng and Bophut, charge 200-400 THB ($6-$12) for dishes like avocado toast or a full English breakfast, and an espresso pulls at around 80 THB ($2.35) with a cappuccino at roughly 80-100 THB ($2.35-$3). Night markets are the island's best value: the Fisherman's Village Walking Street in Bophut (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings) serves pad thai for 80 THB, mango sticky rice for 50-60 THB, and cocktails for 99 THB, while Lamai Night Market operates nightly with a similarly cheap spread of grilled seafood, som tum, and satay. A small Singha or Chang at a casual bar costs 80-120 THB ($2.35-$3.50), rising to 150-200 THB ($4.40-$6) at beachfront venues; cocktails average 150-250 THB ($4.40-$7.35), and happy hours at hotel bars can slash prices by half.

Koh Samui has a solid spread of supermarkets and wholesale stores that keep grocery shopping convenient, though as an island destination prices run 10-20% higher than the Thai mainland. The big three for everyday shopping are Lotus's (formerly Tesco Lotus), with branches in Chaweng, Lamai, and Nathon; Big C Supercenter in Bophut; and Makro, also in Bophut, which is a wholesale cash-and-carry warehouse where you can buy meat, fish, and vegetables in bulk at the lowest prices on the island. For premium and imported items, Tops Market inside Central Festival Samui in Chaweng stocks gourmet cheeses, European wines, organic produce, and specialty products, though at a steep markup. A kilogram of rice costs 25-50 THB ($0.75-$1.50), chicken fillets run about 76 THB ($2.25) per kilo, a dozen eggs go for 55-70 THB ($1.60-$2.05), and a liter of milk costs roughly 50 THB ($1.45). Bread, a 500g loaf, averages 50-55 THB ($1.45-$1.60), while bananas are just 35-40 THB ($1-$1.15) per kilo. Beef is where prices jump: a kilo runs 350-450 THB ($10-$13), and imported cheese hovers around 575 THB ($17) per kilogram. Wine carries heavy Thai import duties, with a basic bottle starting at 650 THB ($19) and decent reds pushing well past 1,000 THB ($29).

Getting around Koh Samui independently almost always means renting a scooter, and it's the transport mode of choice for the vast majority of residents and nomads. A 125cc Honda Click or Yamaha NMAX rents for around 200-350 THB ($6-10) per day, dropping to 2,500-4,000 THB ($75-120) per month on a long-term deal. Scooters are practical for the main ring road circling the island, which is well-paved and relatively flat, but interior roads leading to hillside viewpoints and villas can be dangerously steep — rental shops explicitly prohibit some routes for 125cc bikes. If you prefer four wheels, compact cars start around 600-800 THB ($18-24) per day or roughly 12,000-15,000 THB ($350-440) per month, while SUVs like a Toyota Fortuner run about 1,400-1,800 THB ($40-53) per day. Koh Samui has one of Thailand's highest motorbike accident rates, so a car is worth considering if you're not a confident rider. Grab technically operates on the island but availability is unreliable — drivers are scarce outside Chaweng and Lamai, especially at night or during rain — so don't depend on it as your primary transport.

Koh Samui's internet infrastructure has improved significantly and now supports remote work well, though it hasn't quite reached the consistency of Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Fiber-optic broadband from AIS Fibre, True Online, or 3BB is available across the main populated areas — Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, Maenam, and Nathon — with plans starting at just 599 THB ($18) per month for 500 Mbps symmetrical speeds, scaling to around 1,200 THB ($35) for gigabit connections. If you're renting a condo or house long-term, getting fiber installed is straightforward and usually takes a few days, though more remote hillside or jungle properties may only have access to slower DSL or fixed wireless. For mobile data, Thailand's major carriers AIS, True (merged with DTAC), and their 4G/5G networks blanket the island with solid coverage. Tourist SIM cards start at 49 THB ($1.50) for basic plans, but for a working nomad, a 30-day unlimited data package from AIS or True costs 600-900 THB ($18-26) with 5G access where available. AIS leads in speed with 5G downloads averaging over 100 Mbps, and mobile data serves as a reliable backup when cafe WiFi disappoints.

Koh Samui punches well above its weight for island healthcare, anchored by Bangkok Hospital Samui — a 50-bed, JCI-accredited facility in Chaweng with over 25 internationally trained physicians covering everything from emergency medicine to cardiology and dental. A GP consultation here runs 800-1,500 THB ($23-43) depending on the specialist, with basic blood panels starting around 2,000-3,500 THB ($58-100). The second main option is Samui International Hospital (formerly Thai International) in Bophut, which has operated for nearly 20 years and tends to be slightly cheaper for routine visits. For everyday ailments, walk-in clinics like Samui Home Clinic in Bophut charge around 400-600 THB ($12-17) for a consultation with basic medication. Pharmacies such as Morya Pharmacy (multiple branches across Chaweng and Lamai) sell most antibiotics and common medications over the counter at prices far below Western equivalents — a course of amoxicillin costs roughly 50-80 THB ($1.50-2.30), though pharmacy prices on Samui run noticeably higher than mainland Thailand due to island logistics. Dental care is excellent and affordable: a cleaning costs 1,500-2,000 THB ($43-58) and a composite filling 800-2,500 THB ($23-72) at clinics like Dental Design or Smile Station in Bophut.

Most passport holders from Western countries enter Thailand on the 60-day visa exemption (93 eligible nationalities), extendable once for 30 days at the Koh Samui immigration office in Nathon for 1,900 THB ($55), giving you 90 days total. Since November 2025, immigration has cracked down on serial visa-exempt entries — you're limited to two per calendar year, and officers can deny entry if they suspect you're living rather than visiting. For longer stays, the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is the go-to for digital nomads: a five-year, multiple-entry visa allowing 180 days per entry (extendable by another 180 days for 1,900 THB), though you'll need to show 500,000 THB ($14,500) in funds and apply under the 'Workcation' category. The so-called 'Samui tax' is real and affects nearly everything: because Bangkok Airways owns the airport and operates as a monopoly, flights from Bangkok start at $170 one-way for a one-hour hop — compare that to $30-50 flights to Chiang Mai. This premium trickles down to goods shipped to the island, making groceries, fuel, and dining 20-30% more expensive than mainland cities like Chiang Mai. Shop at Big C Samui or Makro for mainland-comparable prices rather than tourist-area minimarts.