A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Koh Samet vs. Surfers Paradise for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise, 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 Surfers Paradise?

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?

Surfers Paradise

A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.

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 Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.

When comparing the travel costs between Koh Samet and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Koh Samet is in Asia and Surfers Paradise is in Pacific, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise?

Surfers Paradise has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Koh Samet experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise in the Summer?

Both Surfers Paradise 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. Furthermore, the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Surfers Paradise this time of year.

In the summer, Koh Samet is around the same temperature as Surfers Paradise. Typically, the summer temperatures in Koh Samet in July average around 28°C (82°F), and Surfers Paradise averages at about 25°C (77°F)in January.

In Surfers Paradise, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, Koh Samet often gets less sunshine than Surfers Paradisein January. Koh Samet gets 195 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Surfers Paradise receives 256 hours of full sun.

Surfers Paradise 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 around the same amount of rain in July as Surfers Paradisein January. Koh Samet gets 174 mm (6.9 in) of rain, while Surfers Paradise receives 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Koh Samet and Surfers Paradise. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Samet year-round. Furthermore, many travelers come to Surfers Paradise for the hiking trails and the shopping scene.

In October, Koh Samet is generally a little warmer than Surfers Paradisein April. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 27°C (81°F), and Surfers Paradise fluctuates around 22°C (71°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Surfers Paradise this time of the year. Koh Samet usually receives less sunshine than Surfers Paradise during autumn. Koh Samet gets 167 hours of sunny skies, while Surfers Paradise receives 214 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Surfers Paradise 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 more rain than Surfers Paradisein April. Koh Samet gets 276 mm (10.9 in) of rain, while Surfers Paradise receives 101 mm (4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Koh Samet as well as Surfers Paradise. Koh Samet attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, many visitors come to Surfers Paradise in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.

Koh Samet is much warmer than Surfers Paradise in the winter. The daily temperature in Koh Samet averages around 25°C (77°F) in January, and Surfers Paradise fluctuates around 15°C (59°F)in July.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Surfers Paradise. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Koh Samet this time of the year. In the winter, Koh Samet often gets more sunshine than Surfers Paradisein July. Koh Samet gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Surfers Paradise receives 226 hours of full sun.

Koh Samet usually gets more rain in January than Surfers Paradisein July. Koh Samet gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Surfers Paradise receives 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Surfers Paradise in the Spring?

Both Surfers Paradise 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. Also, most visitors come to Surfers Paradise for the beaches during these months.

In the spring, Koh Samet is a little warmer than Surfers Paradise. Typically, the spring temperatures in Koh Samet in April average around 29°C (84°F), and Surfers Paradise averages at about 21°C (69°F)in October.

It's quite sunny in Surfers Paradise. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Koh Samet. Koh Samet usually receives less sunshine than Surfers Paradise during spring. Koh Samet gets 239 hours of sunny skies, while Surfers Paradise receives 259 hours of full sun in the spring.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Surfers Paradise. In April, Koh Samet usually receives less rain than Surfers Paradisein October. Koh Samet gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Surfers Paradise receives 103 mm (4 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Surfers Paradise and Koh Samet