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: $2,607 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,706 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,804 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 95% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$4.53 ฿153

300.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$46.36 ฿1,565

82.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.65 ฿292

14.34%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$3.09 ฿104

92.88%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$0.68 ฿22.89

277.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.37 ฿12.44

567.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.42 ฿81.6

175.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 $6.24

$3.81 ฿129

63.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.18 ฿73.5

-53.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.82 ฿61.3

107.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.18 ฿73.5

73.85%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.24 ฿75.4

65.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$19.93 ฿673

-50.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$3.64 ฿123

146.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$13.56 ฿458

16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.29 ฿111

92.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.69 ฿56.9

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.33 ฿78.8

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.03 ฿68.4

162.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.60 ฿54.0

35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.49 ฿50.5

216.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.01 ฿34.17

130.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.48 ฿16.09

350.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.45 ฿150

102.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$18.63 ฿629

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.79 ฿60.3

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.80 ฿94.4

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.42 ฿47.90

-27.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.57 $29.57

$11.33 ฿382

160.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.09 ฿104

65.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.04 ฿35.19

45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.20 $30.20

$13.63 ฿460

121.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.31 ฿44.23

-39.69%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

9.83%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.60%

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

$235 $235

$123 ฿4,157

90.91%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$13.81 ฿466

298.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$18.52 ฿625

272.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.22 $34.22

$60.4 ฿2,037

-43.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.92 $24.92

$16.80 ฿567

48.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$8.89 ฿300

65.69%

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

$1,134 $1,134

$687 ฿23.2K

65.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

31.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$57.6 ฿1,945

-3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 $60.1

$34.66 ฿1,170

73.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$115 ฿3,879

-6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$84.9 ฿2,865

40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$618 ฿20.8K

171.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$443 ฿15.0K

195.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,273 $3,273

$2,047 ฿69.1K

59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$1,506 ฿50.8K

22.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,765 $4,765

$3,568 ฿120.4K

33.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 $2,263

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,541 $3,541

$503 ฿17.0K

604.32%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in Knoxville, TN and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 604% 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: $85.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $292 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.

Average pay runs 604% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,675 in Knoxville, TN versus $618 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,607 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 $1,261 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.