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

Should you visit Koh Samet or Yichang?

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

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

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?

Yichang

Yichang, China is an ancient city situated on the northern bank of the Yangtze River in central China. The city is located just below the famed Three Gorges Dam and is a popular ending point for many Yangtze River cruises. Yichang offers beautiful natural scenery and ancient relics from the Three Kingdom Period.

Yichang experiences cool, rainy, winters and hot, humid, summers. Temperatures tend to stay in the 40's Fahrenheit during winter and the 80's in the summer. Spring, Summer, and Autumn are fantastic times to visit, although if you prefer to beat the heat, stay away during late summer!

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 from Beijing, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lhasa.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Koh Samet and Yichang, we can see that Koh Samet is more expensive. And not only is Yichang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Yichang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yichang 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 Yichang.

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 Yichang Expensive?.

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

Yichang 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 Yichang in the Summer?

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

In July, Koh Samet is generally around the same temperature as Yichang. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 28°C (82°F), and Yichang fluctuates around 29°C (85°F).

It's quite sunny in Yichang. Koh Samet usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Yichang during summer. Koh Samet gets 195 hours of sunny skies, while Yichang receives 206 hours of full sun in the summer.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Yichang. It's quite rainy in Koh Samet. In July, Koh Samet usually receives less rain than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 174 mm (6.9 in) of rain, while Yichang receives 229 mm (9 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Yichang in the Autumn?

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

Koh Samet is a little warmer than Yichang in the autumn. The daily temperature in Koh Samet averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Yichang fluctuates around 20°C (67°F).

In the autumn, Koh Samet often gets more sunshine than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 167 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yichang receives 134 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Koh Samet. Koh Samet usually gets more rain in October than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 276 mm (10.9 in) of rain, while Yichang receives 87 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Yichang in the Winter?

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

In the winter, Koh Samet is much warmer than Yichang. Typically, the winter temperatures in Koh Samet in January average around 25°C (77°F), and Yichang averages at about 6°C (43°F).

In Koh Samet, it's very sunny this time of the year. Koh Samet usually receives more sunshine than Yichang during winter. Koh Samet gets 255 hours of sunny skies, while Yichang receives 92 hours of full sun in the winter.

In January, Koh Samet usually receives more rain than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Yichang receives 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit Koh Samet or Yichang in the Spring?

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

In April, Koh Samet is generally much warmer than Yichang. Daily temperatures in Koh Samet average around 29°C (84°F), and Yichang fluctuates around 18°C (65°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Koh Samet this time of the year. In the spring, Koh Samet often gets more sunshine than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 239 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Yichang receives 129 hours of full sun.

Koh Samet usually gets less rain in April than Yichang. Koh Samet gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Yichang receives 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Yichang and Koh Samet