Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chattanooga, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,511 in Chattanooga, TN, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
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Chattanooga, TN Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chattanooga, TN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Chattanooga, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,511 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Chattanooga, TN $2,511

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,776 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Chattanooga, TN $3,776

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,042 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Chattanooga, TN $5,042

Phuket is about 49% cheaper than Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Chattanooga, TN is 84% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.17 $20.17

-77.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$102 $102

-68.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.09 $11.09

-20.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.52 $5.52

-48.73%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.41 $2.41

-63.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.04 $2.04

-75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.12 $6.12

-58.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.66 $7.66

-51.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.07 $1.07

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$3.78 $3.78

-61.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.85 $3.85

-61.04%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.32 $4.32

-51.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.74 $13.74

38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.57 $14.57

-77.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.45 $13.45

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$6.61 $6.61

-55.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.61 $1.61

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.40 $4.40

-48.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.28 $4.28

-51.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.85 $2.85

-47.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$3.67 $3.67

-62.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.70 $2.70

-60.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$2.73 $2.73

-80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.48 $9.48

-55.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.14 $18.14

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.95 $1.95

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.29 $3.29

-13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$1.54 $1.54

-5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$50.3 $50.3

12.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.11 $5.11

-40.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.98 $1.98

-48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$29.76 $29.76

-87.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.89 $0.89

65.17%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$27.8K $27.8K

-3.70%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$156 $156

-38.13%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$81.4 $81.4

-86.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$75.2 $75.2

-77.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$36.28 $36.28

85.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.12 $4.12

160.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.81 $14.81

-49.36%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,077 $1,077

-55.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

-54.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$41.72 $41.72

49.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$38.09 $38.09

-25.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$96.3 $96.3

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$117 $117

-26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,548 $1,548

-53.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,176 $1,176

-58.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,711 $2,711

-28.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,929 $1,929

-25.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$2,971 $2,971

40.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,185 $2,185

39.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,057 $4,057

-87.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Chattanooga, TN

$1.2K 46.8% 140% $685

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Chattanooga, TN

$429 17.1% 61.3% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Chattanooga, TN

$312 12.4% 151% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$132 5.3% 8.1% $9.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$324 12.9% 167% $203

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Chattanooga, TN

$66 2.6% 19.8% $16

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$72 2.9% 1.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,548 in Chattanooga, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chattanooga, TN are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $102 in Chattanooga, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $429 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

16:29 4:29 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

176,588

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Chattanooga, TN 15,230 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Chattanooga, TN

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

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

Chattanooga, TN costs about 96% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,767 in Chattanooga, TN. 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 $1,548 in Chattanooga, TN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,511 in Chattanooga, TN. That makes Phuket about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Chattanooga, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Chattanooga, TN at $2,511. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chattanooga, 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, Chattanooga, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.