Phuket
Good for a trip with variety: beaches, Old Town and day trips around the island. Start with Kata for a beach stay or Old Town for walks and cafés. If you plan to travel daily, check the journey from the actual address.
Open the Phuket guide →Phuket or Koh Samui? Compare islands and plan your budget
Start with how you want to spend your days. Shortlist two areas, get accommodation quotes for your dates, and compare the full cost including getting there and getting around.
Koh Samui
Good for a holiday with one base. Start by comparing Bophut and Choeng Mon. Check the route from your accommodation to the beach, shops and airport or ferry pier, especially if you will not have a car.
Open the Koh Samui guide →Trip budget calculator
Enter costs in Thai baht for your whole group. No market rates are prefilled: use quotes for your travel dates. The calculation runs in your browser.
For a fair comparison, use the same trip length and group size. Include the journey to the island in one-off costs and set aside any refundable deposit as cash needed at check-in.
More about the islands: Phuket101 · The Koh Samui Guide