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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,005 in Nashville, TN versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,609 in Nashville, TN versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,213 in Nashville, TN versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Nashville, TN is roughly 140% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nashville, TN is 125% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 $17.97

$4.55 ฿153

294.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$46.18 ฿1,550

76.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$8.84 ฿297

15.16%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$3.06 ฿103

89.87%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$0.73 ฿24.36

308.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.40 ฿13.37

527.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.43 ฿81.6

174.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$3.78 ฿127

116.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.26 ฿75.8

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.81 ฿60.8

119.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.25 ฿75.7

103.56%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$2.25 ฿75.4

75.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$19.51 ฿655

-38.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 $15.54

$3.65 ฿122

325.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 $16.39

$13.05 ฿438

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.23 ฿109

39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.62 ฿54.3

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.38 ฿80.0

140.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.03 ฿68.0

162.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.53 ฿51.5

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.50 ฿50.4

164.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.98 ฿32.85

109.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.52 ฿17.36

434.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$4.44 ฿149

104.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 $15.63

$18.32 ฿615

-14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.86 ฿62.6

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.68 ฿90.0

60.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.41 ฿47.37

39.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 $68.1

$11.70 ฿393

481.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.11 ฿104

63.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.04 ฿35.00

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.82 $20.82

$14.11 ฿474

47.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.31 ฿44.02

-35.11%

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

$31.9K $31.9K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

14.62%

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)

$201 $201

$122 ฿4,110

63.81%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$13.59 ฿456

408.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$18.70 ฿628

287.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.04 $41.04

$60.5 ฿2,031

-32.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.86 $17.86

$16.98 ฿570

5.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 $14.97

$9.07 ฿305

65.05%

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

$1,260 $1,260

$706 ฿23.7K

78.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

90.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$58.6 ฿1,965

4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.58 $47.58

$35.36 ฿1,187

34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$115 ฿3,876

-20.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$83.7 ฿2,811

62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 $1,861

$626 ฿21.0K

197.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 $1,642

$445 ฿14.9K

268.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,097 $4,097

$2,040 ฿68.5K

100.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,997 $2,997

$1,492 ฿50.1K

100.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,769 $7,769

$3,483 ฿116.9K

123.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,644 $2,644

$2,577 ฿86.5K

2.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,462 $4,462

$500 ฿16.8K

792.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.33

22.33%

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

Last update for Nashville, TN: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,861 in Nashville, TN and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nashville, TN pays 793% 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: $81.0 in Nashville, TN vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $289 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

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

Nashville, TN and Phuket differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($3,005 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 793% higher in Nashville, 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: $1,861 in Nashville, TN versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,260 in Nashville, TN versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Nashville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,005 in Nashville, TN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nashville, 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.

Safety-wise, Nashville, 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 140% less than in Nashville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.