Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, TN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Union City, TN $1,653
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Union City, TN versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Union City, TN $2,486
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Union City, TN versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Union City, TN $3,318
Phuket $2,845

Living in Union City, TN is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Union City, TN is 22% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.87 $9.87

$4.40 ฿147

124.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$32.26 ฿1,078

56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.76 ฿293

-20.66%

Cappuccino

$3.11 $3.11

$2.83 ฿94.5

9.89%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$0.90 ฿30.14

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.47 ฿15.56

231.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.55 ฿85.2

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.83 ฿128

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.73 ฿57.7

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.47 ฿49.11

61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.51 ฿50.6

37.09%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$2.17 ฿72.7

23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$19.70 ฿658

-60.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$3.34 ฿112

164.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.16 ฿373

67.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.85 ฿95.1

55.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.70 ฿56.9

-25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.19 ฿73.3

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.05 ฿68.4

116.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.45 ฿48.57

51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.38 ฿46.16

32.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.07 ฿35.69

65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.51 ฿16.91

170.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.26 ฿142

60.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$18.58 ฿621

-24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 ฿59.7

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.85 ฿95.2

-35.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.26 ฿75.6

-18.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.01 ฿101

61.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.06 ฿35.34

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.16 $21.16

$3.86 ฿129

448.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.45 ฿48.45

-42.76%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

40.80%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

1.24%

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

$228 $228

$96.4 ฿3,221

136.70%

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

$33.13 $33.13

$11.04 ฿369

200.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$17.14 ฿573

338.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.53 $41.53

$52.2 ฿1,744

-20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.06 $7.06

$11.16 ฿373

-36.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$7.81 ฿261

89.76%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$556 ฿18.6K

163.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

166.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$64.2 ฿2,146

-13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.06 $43.06

$28.69 ฿959

50.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 $90.9

$95.4 ฿3,187

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$88.0 ฿2,940

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$737 ฿24.6K

-1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$462 ฿15.5K

26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 $1,155

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-44.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-8.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 $2,327

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-33.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,591 $2,591

$2,523 ฿84.3K

2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,019 $2,019

$501 ฿16.7K

303.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union City, TN

$585 35.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 20.9% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, TN

$336 20.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 63% $212

Groceries & Markets

Union City, TN

$315 19%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 14.6% $46

Eating Out

Union City, TN

$179 10.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 32.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, TN

$147 8.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, TN

$71 4.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 4.7% $3.4

Getting Around

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 98.7% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $724 in Union City, TN and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, TN pays 303% 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: $50.0 in Union City, TN vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

14:37 2:37 PM

12 h ahead of Union City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Union City, TN Phuket 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Union City, 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 303% higher in Union City, 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: $724 in Union City, TN versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Union City, TN versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $50.0 in Union City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,653 in Union City, TN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Union City, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Union City, TN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Union City, 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 37% less than in Union City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.