Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Phuket is about 40% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Johnson City, TN is 57% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.78 $13.78

-67.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$53.9 $53.9

-39.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.88 $9.88

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$5.14 $5.14

-44.94%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.88 $2.88

-69.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$2.03 $2.03

-75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$4.93 $4.93

-48.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.04 $6.04

-39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.98 $0.98

69.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.75 $3.75

-61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.97 $3.97

-62.22%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.11 $3.11

-32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.53 $7.53

153.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.67 $13.67

-75.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.09 $13.09

-16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$7.59 $7.59

-61.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.73 $1.73

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.10 $4.10

-45.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.65 $3.65

-43.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.40 $3.40

-55.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$4.34 $4.34

-68.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.20 $2.20

-51.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$2.36 $2.36

-77.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.01 $9.01

-53.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$13.14 $13.14

43.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.61 $1.61

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$4.42 $4.42

-35.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.97 $0.97

49.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$25.13 $25.13

125.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.58 $5.58

-45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.44 $1.44

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$15.19 $15.19

-75.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.83 $0.83

77.11%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$30.0K $30.0K

-10.75%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$24.7K $24.7K

8.01%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$172 $172

-44.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$51.9 $51.9

-78.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$62.5 $62.5

-73.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$47.20 $47.20

42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$20.14 $20.14

-46.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.88 $11.88

-36.87%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,185 $1,185

-59.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$14.6K $14.6K

-22.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$37.41 $37.41

66.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$30.80 $30.80

-7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$87.4 $87.4

7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$94.4 $94.4

-9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,178 $1,178

-39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$980 $980

-49.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,992 $1,992

-3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,616 $1,616

-11.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,444 $2,444

70.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$2,033 $2,033

49.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,584 $3,584

-85.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.49

-14.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 99.7% $489

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 45.7% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 130% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 7.7% $9.4

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 112% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 13.7% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2% 40.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,178 in Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $388 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

21:03 9:03 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

66,027

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Johnson City, TN 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,207 in Johnson City, 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 $1,178 in Johnson City, TN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. That makes Phuket about 40% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,138. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, 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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.