Koh Phangan vs Koh Samui
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Koh Samui edges it, 56 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Koh Phangan is stronger on nothing outright; Koh Samui on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Jungle island with one of Asia's densest nomad scenes
Full Koh Phangan profile →Where to stay in Koh Phangan →Big island hub with resorts, villas and a real airport
Full Koh Samui profile →Where to stay in Koh Samui →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 | 60 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 76 | 76 |
| Internet | 61 | 69 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 28 | 28 |
| Climate | 25 | 25 |
| Air quality | 86 | 88 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.8 | 55.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 22.9 Mbps | 33.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 11.3 Mbps | 19.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 10 | 10 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Koh Phangan | Koh Samui |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.5 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Koh Phangan or Koh Samui?
- Koh Samui is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,000 for one person.
- Is Koh Phangan or Koh Samui safer?
- Koh Phangan scores higher on safety (51 vs 51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Koh Phangan or Koh Samui?
- Koh Samui: a measured median of 33.3 Mbps versus 22.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Koh Phangan vs Koh Lanta
- Koh Phangan vs Krabi (Ao Nang)
- Koh Samui vs Koh Lanta
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- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Official entry rules that changed after the Passport Index snapshot; OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.