Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Franklin, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,122 in Franklin, TN, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Franklin, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,122 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Franklin, TN $3,122

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,506 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Franklin, TN $4,506

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,889 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Franklin, TN $5,889

Phuket is about 59% cheaper than Franklin, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Franklin, TN is 129% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$28.12 $28.12

-84.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$87.3 $87.3

-62.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.90 $11.90

-25.97%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$7.33 $7.33

-61.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$3.37 $3.37

-74.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.29 $2.29

-78.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$7.55 $7.55

-66.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.07 $8.07

-54.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.31 $1.31

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.81 $3.81

-61.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.71 $5.71

-63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$15.47 $15.47

23.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$17.84 $17.84

-81.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.94 $3.94

-25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.93 $1.93

-12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.97 $1.97

-23.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.13 $2.13

-35.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.47 $2.47

-56.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.46 $9.46

-55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.87 $12.87

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.98 $0.98

47.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$61.0 $61.0

-7.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.87 $0.87

68.97%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.1K $28.1K

-4.70%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.91%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$214 $214

-54.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$116 $116

-90.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$90.5 $90.5

-81.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$58.6 $58.6

14.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.06 $16.06

-53.30%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$397 $397

19.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$98.6 $98.6

-36.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$63.7 $63.7

-55.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$75.6 $75.6

24.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$112 $112

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,924 $1,924

-62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,677 $1,677

-70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$3,203 $3,203

-39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,711 $2,711

-47.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$3,526 $3,526

18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,932 $2,932

3.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$6,239 $6,239

-91.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.59

-15.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Franklin, TN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Franklin, TN

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Franklin, TN

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Franklin, TN

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Franklin, TN

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Franklin, TN

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Franklin, TN

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Franklin, TN

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,924 in Franklin, 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 Franklin, TN are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $87 in Franklin, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $287 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Franklin, TN

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

17:09 5:09 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

83,454

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Franklin, TN 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Franklin, 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 Franklin, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $3,122 in Franklin, TN – Phuket comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,683 in Franklin, 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 $1,924 in Franklin, TN.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $397 in Franklin, TN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Franklin, TN at $3,122. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Franklin, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $3,122 in Franklin, TN. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Franklin, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.