Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, TN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens, TN and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens, TN and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Athens, TN vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Athens, TN $2,116
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,286 per month in Athens, TN vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Athens, TN $3,286
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Athens, TN vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Athens, TN $4,457
Phuket $3,115

Athens, TN costs about 64% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Athens, TN sits 56% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.07 $30.07

$4.39 ฿148

584.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$32.31 ฿1,090

234.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$8.70 ฿294

37.36%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$2.72 ฿91.9

109.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.93 ฿31.38

216.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.50 ฿16.85

352.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.53 ฿85.4

157.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.63 ฿122

117.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.74 ฿58.7

-45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.45 ฿48.93

77.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.50 ฿50.7

162.00%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.17 ฿73.3

93.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$19.09 ฿644

-27.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.40 ฿115

96.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.75 $19.75

$10.90 ฿368

81.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.94 ฿99.2

97.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.69 ฿57.1

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.19 ฿74.0

156.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.12 ฿71.6

143.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.46 ฿49.19

142.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.37 ฿46.14

94.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.08 ฿36.29

99.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.55 ฿18.40

201.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.43 ฿149

54.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$18.25 ฿616

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.77 ฿59.8

120.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.88 ฿97.2

69.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.45 ฿48.82

51.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 $53.5

$54.9 ฿1,851

-2.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.51 ฿51.0

125.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.78 ฿26.17

96.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$3.84 ฿129

537.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.49 ฿50.2

-36.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.1K $36.1K

$26.9K ฿906.7K

34.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.3K ฿888.6K

-0.32%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$221 $221

$97.8 ฿3,299

125.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$11.29 ฿381

558.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 $55.7

$17.19 ฿580

223.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 $37.88

$68.3 ฿2,305

-44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 $8.21

$7.43 ฿251

10.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$530 ฿17.9K

236.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$18.8K ฿633.5K

85.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$61.7 ฿2,080

-14.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 $45.25

$28.25 ฿953

60.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 $95.9

$96.0 ฿3,238

-0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$86.8 ฿2,928

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$721 ฿24.3K

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$509 ฿17.2K

36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,950 ฿65.8K

-24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 $1,184

$1,397 ฿47.1K

-15.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,813 $2,813

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-32.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-29.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,189 $8,189

$492 ฿16.6K

1565.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens, TN

$695 32.9%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 26.8% $186

Eating Out

Athens, TN

$414 19.6%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 71.1% $294

Groceries & Markets

Athens, TN

$392 18.6%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 32% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, TN

$351 16.6%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 64% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, TN

$136 6.4%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Athens, TN

$73 3.5%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 9.9% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, TN

$54 2.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 53.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $861 in Athens, TN versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens, TN are about 17 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

12 h ahead of Athens, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Athens, TN Phuket 15,190 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens, TN
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athens, TN vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, TN costs about 64% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Athens, TN and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $861 in Athens, TN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Athens, TN, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Athens, TN at $2,116. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.