A Travel Price Comparison for Thailand Koh Samet vs. Koh Chang for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Koh Samet or Koh Chang, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Koh Samet or Koh Chang?

Koh Samet

The country of Thailand is full of some of the world's most stunning beauty and peaceful settings. So it begs the question, where the Thai people go to get away from it all? They go to Ko Samet on the eastern gulf coast. Located just outside of Bangkok, Ko Samet provides visitors an easily accessible and desirable weekend getaway spot. With white beaches and coral of every other color, this island has steadily developed over the last few years without an intense construction increase like many other Thai beaches. Once thought to be the home of pirates, this island provides plenty to wonder about including, are there hidden treasures under that gorgeous white sand?

Koh Chang

Most people pick Thailand for their destination because they're anxious to collapse on a breathtaking beach. If that is you, Ko Chang does not disappoint. As one the country's most beautiful islands, Ko Chang is full of white beaches and incredible wildlife. Beware, though, you're not the only one with Ko Chang in mind. During the high season, the island can become quite crowded with tourists.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, The Best Bicycle Tours in Thailand, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Thailand.


Which place is cheaper, Koh Chang or Koh Samet?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Koh Samet is $97, while the average daily cost in Koh Chang is $49. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Koh Samet and Koh Chang in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Koh Samet $32
    Koh Chang $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Koh Samet $64
    Koh Chang $48
Compare Hotels in Koh Samet and Koh Chang

Looking for a hotel in Koh Samet or Koh Chang? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Koh Samet


Hotels in Koh Chang


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Koh Samet Hotel Prices and Koh Chang Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Koh Samet $69
    Koh Chang $13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Koh Chang

Also for Koh Chang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Trat Airport: Shared Transfers to/from Koh Chang with Ferry: $27
  • Arrival Bangkok Airport Private Transfer : Trat/ Koh Chang: $118
  • Departure Private Airport Transfer : Koh Chang to Bangkok Airport: $118
  • Private Transfer from Koh Chang to Bangkok Airport or Don Muang Airport: $199
  • Private Transfer from Trat to Suvarnabhumi (BKK) Airport: $212
  • Private Transfer from Trat to Don Mueang (DMK) Airport: $218

Is it cheaper to fly into Koh Samet or Koh Chang?

Prices for flights to both Koh Chang and Koh Samet change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Koh Samet $28
    Koh Chang $17

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Koh Samet $9.06
    Koh Chang $5.51

Tours and Activities in Koh Chang

For Koh Chang, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Private Kayak Experience in Bang Bao Bay with Lunch: $23
  • Full-Day Koh Chang Tour with Lunch : $54
  • Bubblemaker, experience dive for kids from 8 to 10 years old (Koh Chang): $85
  • PADI Discover Scuba Dive Experience: $155
  • 1-Day Adventure in Diving in Koh Chang: $286

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Koh Samet $4.73
    Koh Chang $4.73


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Koh Samet and Koh Chang, we can see that Koh Samet is more expensive. And not only is Koh Chang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Chang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Chang and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Koh Samet would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Koh Samet than you might in Koh Chang.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Koh Samet Expensive? and Is Koh Chang Expensive?.



When is the best time to visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang?

Both destinations experience a warmer climate most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season. Although in the rainy season, it doesn't necessarily rain every day.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang in the Summer?

Both Koh Chang and Koh Samet during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Koh Samet because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Chang year-round.

Koh Chang gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Koh Samet. Koh Samet usually gets less rain in July than Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 174 mm (6.9 in) of rain, while Koh Chang receives 440 mm (17.3 in) of rain this time of the year.

In the summer, Koh Samet often gets more sunshine than Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 195 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Koh Chang receives 143 hours of full sun.

In July, Koh Samet is generally around the same temperature as Koh Chang. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 28°C (82°F), and Koh Chang fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Koh Samet 28°C (82°F) 
    Koh Chang 28°C (82°F)

Should I visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Koh Samet and Koh Chang. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Samet year-round. Koh Chang attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

November to February in Koh Chang is the dry season. Also, June to October is the rainy season in Koh Chang. Koh Chang receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Koh Samet gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Koh Samet usually receives around the same amount of rain as Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 276 mm (10.9 in) of rain, while Koh Chang receives 280 mm (11 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Koh Samet usually receives less sunshine than Koh Chang during autumn. Koh Samet gets 167 hours of sunny skies, while Koh Chang receives 193 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Koh Samet is around the same temperature as Koh Chang in the autumn. The daily temperature in Koh Samet averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Koh Chang fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Koh Samet 27°C (81°F) 
    Koh Chang 27°C (81°F)

Should I visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Koh Samet as well as Koh Chang. Koh Samet attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Koh Chang throughout the year.

Also, November to February in Koh Chang is the dry season. Koh Samet usually gets more rain in January than Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Koh Chang receives 12 mm (0.5 in) of rain this time of the year.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Koh Chang. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Koh Samet this time of the year. In the winter, Koh Samet often gets less sunshine than Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Koh Chang receives 282 hours of full sun.

In the winter, Koh Samet is around the same temperature as Koh Chang. Typically, the winter temperatures in Koh Samet in January average around 25°C (77°F), and Koh Chang averages at about 26°C (79°F).


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Koh Samet 25°C (77°F) 
    Koh Chang 26°C (79°F)

Should I visit Koh Samet or Koh Chang in the Spring?

Both Koh Chang and Koh Samet are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Koh Samet throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Koh Chang because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

The rainy season in Koh Chang is June to October. It rains a lot this time of the year in Koh Chang. In April, Koh Samet usually receives less rain than Koh Chang. Koh Samet gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Koh Chang receives 111 mm (4.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.

It's quite sunny in Koh Chang. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Koh Samet. Koh Samet usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Koh Chang during spring. Koh Samet gets 239 hours of sunny skies, while Koh Chang receives 247 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Koh Samet is generally around the same temperature as Koh Chang. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 29°C (84°F), and Koh Chang fluctuates around 29°C (84°F).


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Koh Samet 29°C (84°F) 
    Koh Chang 29°C (84°F)

Typical Weather for Koh Chang and Koh Samet

Koh Samet Koh Chang
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 25°C (77°F) 94 mm (3.7 in) 26°C (79°F) 12 mm (0.5 in)
Feb 26°C (80°F) 63 mm (2.5 in) 27°C (81°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)
Mar 27°C (81°F) 57 mm (2.2 in) 28°C (82°F) 55 mm (2.2 in)
Apr 29°C (84°F) 74 mm (2.9 in) 29°C (84°F) 111 mm (4.4 in)
May 28°C (83°F) 189 mm (7.4 in) 28°C (83°F) 356 mm (14 in)
Jun 28°C (82°F) 174 mm (6.9 in) 28°C (82°F) 513 mm (20.2 in)
Jul 28°C (82°F) 174 mm (6.9 in) 28°C (82°F) 440 mm (17.3 in)
Aug 27°C (81°F) 206 mm (8.1 in) 27°C (81°F) 514 mm (20.2 in)
Sep 28°C (82°F) 158 mm (6.2 in) 27°C (81°F) 476 mm (18.7 in)
Oct 27°C (81°F) 276 mm (10.9 in) 27°C (81°F) 280 mm (11 in)
Nov 26°C (79°F) 380 mm (15 in) 27°C (80°F) 61 mm (2.4 in)
Dec 25°C (77°F) 118 mm (4.6 in) 26°C (79°F) 12 mm (0.5 in)