Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester, TN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,691 in Manchester, TN, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

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

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Manchester, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,691

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,691 in Manchester, TN versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Manchester, TN $2,691
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,452 in Manchester, TN versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Manchester, TN $3,452
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,214 in Manchester, TN versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Manchester, TN $4,214
Phuket $3,115

Living in Manchester, TN is roughly 108% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manchester, TN is 99% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$4.39 ฿147

224.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 $52.6

$32.31 ฿1,080

62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$8.70 ฿291

16.32%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$2.72 ฿91.1

72.79%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.93 ฿31.11

177.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.50 ฿16.70

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.53 ฿84.6

128.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.63 ฿121

40.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.74 ฿58.2

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.45 ฿48.51

182.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.50 ฿50.2

196.00%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$2.17 ฿72.6

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$19.09 ฿638

-38.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 $9.08

$3.40 ฿114

167.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 $16.54

$10.90 ฿364

51.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.94 ฿98.3

48.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.69 ฿56.6

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.19 ฿73.4

91.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.12 ฿71.0

118.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.46 ฿48.77

158.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.37 ฿45.74

170.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.08 ฿35.98

119.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$0.55 ฿18.24

420.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.43 ฿148

55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$18.25 ฿610

-17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.77 ฿59.3

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.88 ฿96.3

1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.45 ฿48.40

23.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$54.9 ฿1,835

16.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.51 ฿50.6

100.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.78 ฿25.94

212.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.67 $39.67

$3.84 ฿128

933.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.49 ฿49.74

-40.27%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$26.9K ฿898.9K

18.88%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K ฿881.0K

1.61%

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

$258 $258

$97.8 ฿3,271

163.28%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$11.29 ฿378

388.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.9 $89.9

$17.19 ฿575

422.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.27 $45.27

$68.3 ฿2,285

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 $16.79

$7.43 ฿248

125.98%

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

$1,296 $1,296

$530 ฿17.7K

144.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$18.8K ฿628.1K

27.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 $79.0

$61.7 ฿2,062

28.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.16 $45.16

$28.25 ฿945

59.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 $130

$96.0 ฿3,210

35.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$86.8 ฿2,903

61.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$721 ฿24.1K

44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$509 ฿17.0K

154.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$1,950 ฿65.2K

8.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$1,397 ฿46.7K

-2.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,933 $2,933

$4,192 ฿140.2K

-30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,298 ฿110.3K

-18.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

5.57

20.83%

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

Last update for Manchester, TN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester, TN

$1.3K 48.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 60.8% $788

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester, TN

$403 15%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 68.6% $276

Groceries & Markets

Manchester, TN

$391 14.5%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 31.8% $125

Eating Out

Manchester, TN

$258 9.6%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 53.7% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester, TN

$177 6.6%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 30.8% $55

Getting Around

Manchester, TN

$86 3.2%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 23.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester, TN

$79 2.9%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 5.5% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,044 in Manchester, TN and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Manchester, TN vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manchester, TN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

14:50 2:50 PM

13 h ahead of Manchester, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,497

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manchester, TN Phuket 15,170 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Manchester, 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

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

Phuket is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,037 in Manchester, TN and $1,940 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,044 in Manchester, TN versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 14% less than in Manchester, TN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,296 in Manchester, TN versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,691 in Manchester, TN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manchester, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Manchester, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.