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

Should you visit Koh Samet or Whitsundays?

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

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

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?

Whitsundays

Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is a cluster of 74 different islands. These islands, the Whitsunday Islands, welcome over a half a million visitors every year to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the most famous destinations in the world, it's not uncommon to see expensive yachts sailing around among the private ferries. Most of the islands are designated as national parks with access to snorkeling and diving in the coral reefs, or just to lay in the sand on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Koh Samet and Whitsundays, we can see that Whitsundays is more expensive. And not only is Koh Samet much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Koh Samet is in Asia and Whitsundays is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Koh Samet would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Samet 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 Whitsundays would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Whitsundays than you might in Koh Samet.

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 Whitsundays Expensive?.

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

Whitsundays 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 Whitsundays in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Koh Samet as well as Whitsundays. Koh Samet attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In July, Koh Samet is generally around the same temperature as Whitsundaysin January. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 28°C (82°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 26°C (79°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. In the summer, Koh Samet often gets less sunshine than Whitsundaysin January. Koh Samet gets 195 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 285 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Whitsundays. Koh Samet receives a lot of rain in the summer. Koh Samet usually gets less rain in July than Whitsundaysin January. Koh Samet gets 174 mm (6.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 331 mm (13 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Whitsundays in the Autumn?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Samet are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Koh Samet throughout the year.

Koh Samet is a little warmer than Whitsundays in the autumn. The daily temperature in Koh Samet averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F)in April.

It's quite sunny in Whitsundays. Koh Samet usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during autumn. Koh Samet gets 167 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 207 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. It's quite rainy in Koh Samet. In October, Koh Samet usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin April. Koh Samet gets 276 mm (10.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Whitsundays in the Winter?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Samet during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Koh Samet because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In the winter, Koh Samet is much warmer than Whitsundays. Typically, the winter temperatures in Koh Samet in January average around 25°C (77°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 16°C (62°F)in July.

In Whitsundays, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Koh Samet. In the winter, Koh Samet often gets more sunshine than Whitsundaysin July. Koh Samet gets 255 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 226 hours of full sun.

Koh Samet usually gets more rain in January than Whitsundaysin July. Koh Samet gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Whitsundays in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Koh Samet and Whitsundays. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Samet year-round.

In April, Koh Samet is generally a little warmer than Whitsundaysin October. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 29°C (84°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Whitsundays this time of the year. In Koh Samet, it's very sunny this time of the year. Koh Samet usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during spring. Koh Samet gets 239 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 298 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Koh Samet usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin October. Koh Samet gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Whitsundays and Koh Samet