Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Ko Samui vs Yogyakarta

Ko Samui vs Yogyakarta

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Yogyakarta 52% cheaper Ko Samui +206 Mbps N/A / Moderate

Ko Samui

big.tiny.belly/Unsplash

Yogyakarta

Dhio Gandhi/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,728

Ko Samui

$825

Yogyakarta

Internet

238

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Ko Samui

Moderate

Yogyakarta

Air Quality

5/5

Ko Samui

5/5

Yogyakarta

Healthcare

N/A

Ko Samui

Moderate

Yogyakarta

Population

62.5k

Ko Samui

388.6k

Yogyakarta

Ko Samui (Thailand) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Yogyakarta is the clear budget winner at $825/mo — 52% cheaper than Ko Samui's $1728/mo, a saving of $10836 per year.

For families, Ko Samui costs $2650.343647723892/mo compared to Yogyakarta's $1172.573940454941/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Ko Samui leads on internet connectivity at 238 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Yogyakarta's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Ko Samui and Yogyakarta share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Ko Samui and Yogyakarta.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Ko Samui is March (around 33 degrees, 0mm rain, score 406), while Yogyakarta peaks in July (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 445). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

Ko SamuiYogyakarta

Nomad$1,728/mo$825/mo

Expat$1,432/mo$532/mo

Local$757/mo$335/mo

Family$2,650/mo$1,173/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

Ko SamuiYogyakarta

City Speed

238 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed238 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

Ko SamuiYogyakarta

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity7479

Quality of Life

Ko SamuiYogyakarta

SafetyN/AModerate

HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Ko Samui

Yogyakarta

Jan

30°

2mm328

36°

8mm265

Feb

31°

0mm397

38°

9mm352

Mar

33°

0mm406

38°

7mm265

Apr

37°

0mm406

38°

10mm281

May

35°

2mm338

37°

0mm421

Jun

34°

1mm359

37°

1mm416

Jul

32°

4mm328

35°

0mm445

Aug

33°

4mm318

35°

0mm432

Sep

32°

2mm354

36°

1mm435

Oct

32°

6mm226

37°

2mm343

Nov

30°

8mm179

38°

11mm281

Dec

28°

2mm338

36°

13mm235

Who Should Choose Ko Samui?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 238 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2650.343647723892/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 62.5k residents
Peak season in March — 33 degrees, score 406

Who Should Choose Yogyakarta?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $825
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1172.573940454941/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 388.6k residents
Peak season in July — 35 degrees, score 445

Overall Verdict

Overall, Yogyakarta edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $825/mo it runs 52% cheaper than Ko Samui's $1728/mo, with 32 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Ko Samui Yogyakarta

ItemKo SamuiYogyakartaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.3$1.3

43%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$23.04$7.78

66%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.01$2.92

58%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.36$1.62

31%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.87$2.27

18%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.88$3.24

11%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.74$0.64

14%

Water (0.33L)$0.29$0.26

10%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.68$1.22

27%

White bread (500g)$1.41$0.98

30%

White rice (1kg)$0.58$0.81

28%

Eggs (12)$1.51$1.34

11%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.09$2.4

13%

Beef round (1kg)$8.35$7.62

Local cheese (1kg)$14.4$7.7

47%

Apples (1kg)$2.9$1.73

40%

Bananas (1kg)$1.13$1.18

Oranges (1kg)$1.73$1.6

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.4$0.87

38%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.11$1.04

Onions (1kg)$1.14$1.92

41%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.58$0.74

22%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.49$0.32

35%

Wine, mid-range bottle$17.28$9.72

44%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.45$2.87

49%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.3$4.86

53%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.89$2.2

43%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.44$0.23

84%

Monthly transport pass—$9.86

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.44$0.65

55%

Taxi per 1km$1.15$0.65

43%

Taxi 1hr waiting$8.93$3.08

66%

Gasoline (1L)$1.23$0.8

35%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$34,560.51$22,479.25

35%

Toyota Corolla (new)$20,160.3$28,257.87

29%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$60.34$45.37

25%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$17.91$24.36

26%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.02

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$43.2$36.46

16%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$14.4$4.86

66%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.2$2.92

59%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$432.01$70.22

84%

International primary school/yr$9,120.14$4,453.72

51%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$57.6$34.84

40%

Summer dress (chain store)$17.28$32.39

47%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$93.6$85.89

Men's leather business shoes$72$82.1

12%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$551.82$226.87

59%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$292$151.24

48%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,008.01$885.86

12%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$828.01$379.84

54%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,008.01$1,296.38

22%

Price per m², outside centre$576.01$345.7

40%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$417.61$156.11

63%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.82$9.83

61%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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