Koh Tao vs Koh Phangan 2025 — Budget Diver or Party Island?
Two islands, one ferry apart, completely different vibes. One is underwater paradise where you can get the world's cheapest diving certification. The other throws the most famous beach party on the planet once a month — and charges triple for the privilege.
Koh Tao and Koh Phangan sit next to each other in the Gulf of Thailand, and most travelers hit both. But if you're choosing one or budgeting for both, the cost differences matter.
The Short Answer
| Koh Tao | Koh Phangan | |
|---|---|---|
| Budget traveler/day | ฿1,200–1,700 | ฿1,200–1,800 |
| Mid-range traveler/day | ฿2,500–3,500 | ฿2,500–4,000 |
| Hostel dorm/night | ฿250–400 | ฿250–400 |
| Budget guesthouse/night | ฿400–800 | ฿350–800 |
| Mid-range hotel/night | ฿800–2,000 | ฿1,000–2,500 |
| Main draw | Diving (PADI from ฿9,900) | Full Moon Party (฿200 entry) |
| Party dates price surge | No | Yes — accommodation triples |
| Vibe | Laid-back, diver community | Split: party south, zen north |
| Getting there | Ferry from Chumphon or KP | Ferry from Koh Samui |
Day-to-day costs are surprisingly similar — until Full Moon Party week hits Koh Phangan and accommodation prices triple overnight.
Getting There
Koh Tao
No airport, no direct flights. Every arrival comes by boat.
- Ferry from Chumphon: ฿500–700, 1.5 hours (cheapest route from mainland)
- Ferry from Koh Phangan: ฿350–600, 1–1.5 hours
- Ferry from Koh Samui: ฿500–800, 1.5 hours
Most budget travelers fly to Chumphon or Surat Thani on AirAsia or Nok Air, then ferry across. The Chumphon route is the fastest and cheapest mainland connection.
Koh Phangan
Also no airport — you're getting on a boat either way.
- Ferry from Koh Samui: ฿200–500, 20–30 minutes (most popular route)
- Ferry from Surat Thani: same ferry lines as the Samui route, longer journey
- Ferry from Koh Tao: ฿350–600, 1–1.5 hours
Koh Phangan is easier to reach than Koh Tao because Koh Samui's airport is right there — but remember, that airport is a Bangkok Airways monopoly with ฿2,130–4,500 one-way flights. The budget move is flying to Surat Thani and taking the ferry.
Accommodation
Base rates on both islands are nearly identical for budget travelers. The gap shows up at mid-range and during Koh Phangan's party dates.
Koh Tao
- Hostel dorm: ฿250–400/night
- Budget guesthouse: ฿400–800/night
- Mid-range 3-star: ฿800–2,000/night
- Dive school accommodation: Free or heavily discounted with course bookings — this is standard practice, not a special deal
If you're doing a PADI course, your accommodation is likely included. That's 3–4 nights of free housing, which makes Koh Tao one of the cheapest islands in Thailand if you're diving.
Koh Phangan
- Hostel dorm: ฿250–400/night
- Budget guesthouse: ฿350–800/night
- Mid-range 3-star: ฿1,000–2,500/night
The Full Moon Party catch: Accommodation prices around Haad Rin triple during Full Moon Party dates. A ฿400 dorm becomes ฿1,200. A ฿1,000 hotel becomes ฿3,000. Many places enforce 3–5 night minimum stays. If you're on a budget, book months ahead or stay on the other side of the island and take a songthaew to Haad Rin.
Food
Street food prices are nearly identical on both islands — you're paying island markup either way, but it's modest.
Pad thai runs ฿50–80, fried rice ฿50–80, noodle soup ฿40–70. Both islands have plenty of cheap Thai restaurants catering to the backpacker crowd.
The difference is in the restaurant scene. Koh Phangan has more variety — Sri Thanu has a strong vegan/health food scene, Thong Sala has the night market, and Bophut (if you ferry to Samui for the day) has upscale options. Koh Tao's restaurant scene is smaller but solid, concentrated around Sairee Beach.
Practical daily food budget:
| Style | Koh Tao | Koh Phangan |
|---|---|---|
| Street food + local spots | ฿200–350 | ฿200–350 |
| Mix of street + restaurants | ฿400–700 | ฿400–750 |
| Restaurants + drinks | ฿700–1,200 | ฿800–1,500 |
Activities
This is where the two islands truly diverge.
Koh Tao — Diving Capital
Koh Tao exists because of diving. It's the cheapest place in the world to get PADI certified, and the coral reefs and marine life back up the reputation.
- PADI Open Water course: ฿9,900–12,000 (3–4 days, often includes free accommodation)
- 2-dive fun dive: ฿1,600–2,400 (for certified divers)
- Discover Scuba Diving (1 day): ฿2,500–3,500 (no certification needed, try-before-you-commit)
- Snorkeling at Shark Bay: Free (blacktip reef sharks and turtles)
- John-Suwan Viewpoint: Free (short hike, panoramic views)
The economics work like this: a 3-day PADI Open Water course at ฿9,900 with free accommodation saves you ฿750–1,200 on housing. Your effective daily cost during the course drops to well below ฿1,000. That's hard to beat anywhere in Thailand.
Koh Phangan — Party + Wellness
Koh Phangan runs on two economies: Full Moon Party in the south, yoga retreats in the north.
- Full Moon Party entrance: ฿200
- Bucket drinks at Full Moon: ฿300–500 each
- Realistic Full Moon Party total budget: ฿1,000–2,500 (entry, drinks, food, transport back)
- Yoga class drop-in: ฿300–500
- Than Sadet Waterfall: ฿100 (national park entry)
- Bottle Beach: Free (accessible by boat or jungle trail)
The Full Moon Party is a once-a-month event — if your dates don't align, Koh Phangan is actually a peaceful, affordable island with great beaches and a thriving wellness scene. Half Moon and Jungle parties fill in on other dates but are smaller.
Getting Around
Koh Tao
The island is tiny — you can walk across it in 30 minutes. Most people walk or rent a scooter (฿150–300/day). Water taxis to remote beaches cost ฿100–200.
No Grab. No taxis. Just your feet, a scooter, or a longtail boat.
Koh Phangan
Bigger island, more spread out. Songthaews (shared pickup trucks) are the main public transport, running fixed routes for ฿100–300 depending on distance. Scooter rental runs ฿150–350/day.
Be careful on scooters — the roads between Haad Rin and the north coast are steep, winding, and often unpaved. This is one of the top spots for tourist scooter injuries in Thailand.
Seasonal Pricing
Koh Tao
Steady pricing year-round. High season (March–September, when the Gulf is calmest) brings slightly higher demand for dive courses, but prices don't spike the way Koh Phangan's do. Low season brings occasional rain and reduced visibility, but also smaller class sizes and easier bookings.
Koh Phangan
Two pricing systems running in parallel:
- Normal days: Standard island pricing, peaceful and affordable
- Full Moon Party week: Everything around Haad Rin triples. Accommodation requires advance booking and minimum stays. Ferries add extra services (and charge more). The rest of the island stays normal.
If you're budget-conscious, time your Koh Phangan visit for the week after Full Moon Party. Prices drop immediately, the beach is empty, and you get the island at its best value.
So Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Koh Tao if:
- You want to learn to dive (cheapest PADI certification in the world)
- You're a certified diver looking for affordable fun dives
- You want a small, walkable island with a laid-back community vibe
- Budget is a priority and you want free accommodation with a dive course
- You prefer snorkeling and viewpoints over nightlife
Choose Koh Phangan if:
- The Full Moon Party is on your bucket list
- You're into yoga, wellness, and plant-based food scenes
- You want more variety in beaches, restaurants, and activities
- You prefer a bigger island with more to explore
- You're traveling outside Full Moon dates and want affordable island life
Do both if:
- You have 7+ days for the Gulf islands — 3–4 days Koh Tao (dive course), ferry to Koh Phangan for 3–4 days
- The ferry between them is only ฿350–600 and takes an hour
The Bottom Line
On regular days, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan cost almost exactly the same — ฿1,200–1,800 per day for budget travelers. The difference is what you're spending that money on: underwater time vs. beach parties.
But during Full Moon Party week, Koh Phangan's costs spike hard. A budget traveler spending ฿1,200/day normally might hit ฿2,500–3,500/day around Haad Rin with inflated accommodation and party spending.
Koh Tao's secret weapon is the free accommodation bundled with dive courses. A 3-day PADI Open Water at ฿9,900 with free housing is genuinely one of the best value activities in all of Thailand.
Most travelers who visit both islands agree: do Koh Tao first (dive, snorkel, relax), then ferry to Koh Phangan (party or yoga, depending on your speed).
Not sure how these islands fit into your overall Thailand budget? Use the BahtWise trip planner to calculate exact costs for your travel dates, group size, and style.
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