Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,138 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $2,138
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $3,133
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,129 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $4,129
Phuket $3,154

Johnson City, TN costs about 67% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Johnson City, TN sits 57% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$4.47 ฿151

208.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$32.41 ฿1,094

66.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.81 ฿297

12.15%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$2.83 ฿95.5

81.63%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$0.87 ฿29.43

231.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.49 ฿16.67

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.56 ฿86.4

92.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.68 ฿124

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.66 ฿56.0

-40.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.46 ฿49.35

156.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.50 ฿50.6

164.67%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$2.09 ฿70.5

48.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$19.07 ฿644

-60.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$3.30 ฿111

314.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.91 ฿368

19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$2.93 ฿99.0

159.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.69 ฿57.1

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.25 ฿75.8

82.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.08 ฿70.1

75.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.51 ฿51.0

125.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.38 ฿46.56

214.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.07 ฿35.99

105.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.52 ฿17.52

353.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.20 ฿142

114.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$18.79 ฿634

-30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.82 ฿61.5

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.84 ฿95.9

55.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.45 ฿49.03

-33.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 $25.13

$56.7 ฿1,913

-55.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.02 ฿102

84.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.02 ฿34.36

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.19 $15.19

$3.69 ฿125

311.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.47 ฿49.81

-43.54%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

12.04%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-7.42%

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

$172 $172

$96.4 ฿3,254

78.69%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$11.26 ฿380

360.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$16.85 ฿569

270.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.20 $47.20

$67.2 ฿2,270

-29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$10.73 ฿362

87.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$7.50 ฿253

58.40%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$476 ฿16.1K

148.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

29.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.41 $37.41

$62.4 ฿2,106

-40.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 $30.80

$28.41 ฿959

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$94.3 ฿3,184

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 $94.4

$85.8 ฿2,898

10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$716 ฿24.2K

64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$491 ฿16.6K

99.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,431 ฿48.3K

12.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,444 $2,444

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-41.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 $2,033

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-33.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$502 ฿17.0K

613.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.57

16.52%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 49.9% $489

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 31.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 56.6% $162

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 52.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.3% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 15.9% $11

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$42 2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 68.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,178 in Johnson City, TN versus $716 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 Johnson City, TN are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

05:58 5:58 AM

11 h ahead of Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Johnson City, TN Phuket 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, 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

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

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,207 per month in Johnson City, TN and $1,917 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 $716 there versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,138 in Johnson City, TN and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 40% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,138. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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