In a long-term villa rental, utilities are a separate budget line that short-term tourists never see — they're absorbed into the nightly rate. For long-term residents, these are real monthly costs that need to be understood before signing a lease.

Electricity: The Biggest Utility Cost

Electricity is the main expense. Samui is hot and humid year-round, which means air conditioning runs constantly.

Tariffs: Thailand's government electricity rate (PEA) is approximately ฿4–5 per kWh. Many villas bill through their management company at a private rate of ฿6–10/kWh or more. This is legal but significantly increases the bill.

Ask before signing:

  • Is the electricity rate the government tariff or a private mark-up?
  • How frequently are bills issued?
  • Is there a usage allowance included in the rent, or is everything metered separately?

Estimated monthly consumption:

  • 1 air conditioner (9,000 BTU), 8h/day: ~฿800–1,200/month
  • 2 air conditioners (bedroom + living room), 10–12h/day: ~฿2,000–3,500/month
  • 3-bedroom villa with pool heater in regular use: ฿4,000–8,000/month and above

Pool heaters draw significant power — clarify whether they're included and how they affect the bill.

Water

Water is considerably cheaper than electricity.

  • Municipal mains water: ฿10–15 per cubic metre
  • Private water delivery (villas without mains supply): ~฿300–500 per tank
  • Drinking water (dispenser or bottles): ฿15–25 per 20-litre bottle

A household of 2–4 people typically spends ฿300–800/month on water.

Note: tap water in some villas is not suitable for drinking — confirm whether a filter or dispenser is needed before moving in.

Internet

Fixed-line internet providers on Samui include True Move H, AIS Fibre and DTAC. A 200–300 Mbps connection costs ฿500–800/month on a direct contract. The villa may already have a management company contract — expect to pay their rate (฿500–1,500/month including router and maintenance). Some leases include internet in the rent.

Run a speed test on your phone inside the villa before signing. 30–50 Mbps handles HD video calls; for 4K conferencing and heavy uploads you want 100+ Mbps.

Cleaning and Pool Maintenance

Standard long-term villa inclusions:

  • Cleaning 1–2 times per week
  • Pool service (cleaning, chlorination): 2–3 times per week
  • Gardener: 1–2 times per week

If not included, budget: ฿500–1,000 per cleaning visit; ฿300–600 per pool service visit.

Other Costs

  • Rubbish collection: usually included or a minimal municipal fee
  • Cable/satellite TV: if needed, add ฿500–1,500/month
  • Cooking gas: 15 kg cylinder ฿400–600, lasting 1–3 months depending on use

Summary Budget

Typical monthly utility costs for a 2–3 bedroom long-term villa rental:

ItemTypical Range
Electricity฿2,000–6,000
Water฿300–800
Internet฿0–1,500 (often included)
Total฿2,300–8,300

Factor this into any price comparison. A villa that appears ฿5,000 cheaper on the listed rental price but charges a high electricity tariff often costs more in practice.