Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,627 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,779 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 107% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 96% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$4.66 ฿150

279.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$46.44 ฿1,496

82.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$8.68 ฿280

15.44%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$2.95 ฿95.0

97.63%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$0.70 ฿22.52

251.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.39 ฿12.70

502.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$2.53 ฿81.6

151.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.78 ฿122

65.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.22 ฿71.5

-51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.80 ฿57.8

109.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.19 ฿70.4

83.11%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.31 ฿74.5

63.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$19.34 ฿623

-47.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$3.77 ฿121

125.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$13.22 ฿426

17.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.33 ฿107

88.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.65 ฿53.1

-16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.29 ฿73.7

13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.99 ฿64.1

171.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.53 ฿49.24

43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.51 ฿48.77

201.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.03 ฿33.12

133.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.51 ฿16.57

337.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.41 ฿142

106.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.41 ฿625

-23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.80 ฿58.0

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.68 ฿86.4

6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.43 ฿46.11

-28.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 $29.43

$11.70 ฿377

151.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.04 ฿97.9

63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.04 ฿33.37

45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$13.68 ฿441

115.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.30 ฿41.85

-34.62%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

8.55%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-19.66%

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

$240 $240

$123 ฿3,962

95.54%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$13.82 ฿445

287.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$18.86 ฿608

264.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$61.2 ฿1,970

-42.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 $25.38

$16.81 ฿541

50.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$8.87 ฿286

60.88%

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

$1,140 $1,140

$696 ฿22.4K

63.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$59.3 ฿1,910

-6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 $59.2

$34.85 ฿1,123

69.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$113 ฿3,646

-3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$85.1 ฿2,740

42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$615 ฿19.8K

168.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$448 ฿14.4K

187.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$2,085 ฿67.2K

51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 $1,805

$1,496 ฿48.2K

20.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 $4,694

$3,734 ฿120.3K

25.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-16.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,511 $3,511

$534 ฿17.2K

558.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Knoxville, TN and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 558% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85 in Knoxville, TN vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $291 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Knoxville, TN pays 558% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,655 in Knoxville, TN versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $85.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,627 in Knoxville, TN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,270 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Knoxville, TN and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.