A Travel Price Comparison for Thailand Phuket vs. Koh Tao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Phuket or Koh Tao?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Koh Tao, 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.

Phuket

Phuket Island is the tourist mecca of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.

Koh Tao

With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.

This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.

Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.

Which city is cheaper, Koh Tao or Phuket?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $87, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $31. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Phuket and Koh Tao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Phuket $48
    Koh Tao $12
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Phuket $96
    Koh Tao $24

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Phuket $8.47
    Koh Tao $7.33
Typical Local Transportation prices in Phuket

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:


  • Longtail Taxi (for Two)
    $8.64
  • Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town
    $7.20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:

  • Phuket Airport to Koh Lanta any hotel Private transfer: $182
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class: $154
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - Central Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class: $136
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Toyota Alphard: $136
  • Minivan Private Transfer from Phuket Airport to Khao Sok: $120
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - North Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class: $118
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - Central Phuket by Toyota Alphard: $118
  • Phang Nga Bay Speed Boat with Private RoundTrip Transfer: $115
  • Phuket Airport Transfers : Phuket City to Phuket Airport HKT in Luxury Van: $106
  • Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Mercedes-Benz E-class: $104
  • Phuket Private Transfer To Ao Nang Beach, Krabi: $101
  • Departure Private Transfers from Phuket City to Phuket Airport HKT: $100

Typical Local Transportation prices in Koh Tao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:


  • Motorbike Rental
    $5.47
  • Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry
    $19

Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Koh Tao?

Prices for flights to both Koh Tao and Phuket 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
    Phuket $17
    Koh Tao $7.83
Typical Food prices in Phuket

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:


  • Casual Dinner (for Two)
    $8.33
  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $4.90
  • Sit Down Dinner (for Two)
    $12
  • Thai Noodles
    $2.59
  • Bananas
    $0.72
  • Pizza (for Two)
    $8.64

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.

  • Private Authentic Thai Cooking Class in a Family Home in Phuket: $60
  • Phuket Old Town 15-Taster Food Tour: $63
  • Siam Niramit w/ Ticket+ Buffet Dinner + Transfer: $63
  • Half Day Thai Cooking Class including Lunch from Khao Lak: $65
  • Phuket FantaSea: Show with Dinner and Transfers: $75
  • Phijittra Uniqueness Sailing Sunset Dinner Cruise: $79
  • Phuket Cooking Course with Sightseeing Tour plus Kata Local Market (Full Day): $101
  • Dinner Buffet Cruise in Phuket: $109
  • James Bond Island Trip on Luxury Boat & lunch buffet, dinner, water activities: $153
  • Sunset Dinner Cruise on board a beautiful: $204

Typical Food prices in Koh Tao

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:


  • Sit Down Lunch (for One)
    $5.76
  • Breakfast
    $4.32
  • Casual Breakfast (for Two)
    $3.46
  • Fancy Dinner (for Two)
    $14
  • Pancake
    $2.02
  • American Breakfast (for Two)
    $8.07
  • Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)
    $7.78

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Phuket $36
    Koh Tao $22
Typical Entertainment prices in Phuket

Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • One Day Boat Tour
    $26
  • Scuba Diving (Two Dives)
    $72
  • Thai Oil Massage
    $18
  • Surfboard Rental
    $8.64

Tours and Activities in Phuket

Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Coral and Racha Islands Speedboat Snorkeling Tour from Phuket: $73
  • DAY TRIP - JOIN TOUR Coral Island Phuket by Sailing Catamaran Yacht: $155
  • Early Bird Small Group - Phi Phi Islands Sunrise Tour with Seaview Lunch Buffet: $106
  • Fishing Live Aboard Cruise to the Similan Islands: $7,338
  • Fishing Live Aboard Cruise to the Surin Islands: $7,338
  • Flying Hanuman Phuket Tour: $119
  • Flying Hanuman Ziplining Experience: $83
  • Flying Trapeze Adventure in Phuket: $21
  • From 4-Day Tropical Island Cruise - Suwan Macha: $1,328
  • From Deluxe Phi Phi Tour by Speedboat & Lunch Buffet: $87
  • From Full-Day Coral Island Tour & Sea Walking: $79
  • From Phang Nga Adventure Tour with Zipline: $70

Typical Entertainment prices in Koh Tao

For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Kayak Rental (One Hour)
    $7.20
  • Snorkel Rental
    $2.88
  • Kayak and Snorkel (2)
    $2.88

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Phuket $5.37
    Koh Tao $6.03
Typical Alcohol prices in Phuket

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:


  • Cocktails (for Two)
    $5.76
  • Beer
    $2.45

Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket

Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Bar Crawl Tour: $31

Typical Alcohol prices in Koh Tao

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:


  • Beer
    $1.87
  • Bottle of Wine
    $11

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Koh Tao, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Koh Tao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Tao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Tao 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 Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket than you might in Koh Tao.

Budget Your Trip

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Phuket vs. Koh Tao Travel Comparison

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