Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arima and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,268 in Arima, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. The total is higher in Arima despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Arima
Learn more

Arima Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Arima

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,268

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,268 per month in Arima vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Arima $1,268
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,161 per month in Arima vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Arima $2,161
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Arima vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Arima $3,054
Phuket $2,867

Arima costs about 5% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Arima and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Arima 6% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 TTD 70.7

$4.58 ฿153

129.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 TTD 488

$32.48 ฿1,086

123.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 TTD 59.0

$8.55 ฿286

2.57%

Cappuccino

$3.68 TTD 24.73

$2.72 ฿91.0

35.29%

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

$1.04 TTD 7.02

$0.94 ฿31.25

10.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.17

$0.49 ฿16.39

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.19

$2.59 ฿86.6

-30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 TTD 19.66

$3.83 ฿128

-23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 TTD 16.03

$1.74 ฿58.1

36.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.66

$1.43 ฿47.82

73.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 TTD 19.60

$1.53 ฿51.0

90.20%

Eggs

$4.40 TTD 29.61

$2.17 ฿72.7

102.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 TTD 44.27

$19.15 ฿640

-65.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 TTD 44.89

$3.30 ฿110

102.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 TTD 58.6

$11.14 ฿372

-21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 TTD 36.23

$2.95 ฿98.5

82.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 TTD 15.41

$1.68 ฿56.1

36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 TTD 25.39

$2.30 ฿76.8

64.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 TTD 33.23

$2.13 ฿71.3

131.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 TTD 8.91

$1.53 ฿51.1

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 TTD 6.73

$1.36 ฿45.55

-26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 TTD 9.04

$1.12 ฿37.44

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 TTD 6.38

$0.55 ฿18.24

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 TTD 32.42

$4.26 ฿142

13.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.96 TTD 128

$18.19 ฿608

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 TTD 12.84

$1.74 ฿58.2

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 TTD 19.85

$2.79 ฿93.3

5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.09

$2.22 ฿74.1

-52.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 TTD 4.90

$2.91 ฿97.3

-74.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 TTD 4.85

$1.01 ฿33.79

-28.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.69 TTD 98.8

$3.83 ฿128

283.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.76

$1.49 ฿49.85

-22.82%

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

$26.9K TTD 180.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

0.68%

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

$35.5K TTD 238.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

32.86%

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

$89.5 TTD 602

$99.4 ฿3,321

-9.96%

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

$44.08 TTD 297

$11.28 ฿377

290.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 TTD 386

$17.36 ฿580

230.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 TTD 345

$52.3 ฿1,747

-1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 TTD 60.1

$7.57 ฿253

17.97%

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

$178 TTD 1,197

$558 ฿18.7K

-68.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K TTD 72.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 TTD 414

$62.9 ฿2,102

-2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 TTD 300

$28.58 ฿955

56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 975

$96.1 ฿3,213

50.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 TTD 498

$88.1 ฿2,943

-15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 TTD 3,415

$729 ฿24.4K

-30.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 TTD 2,439

$460 ฿15.4K

-21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 TTD 7,055

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 TTD 6,066

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-26.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 TTD 8,219

$493 ฿16.5K

147.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for Arima: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arima

$363 28.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 26.8% $97

Groceries & Markets

Arima

$314 24.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 14.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arima

$191 15.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 33% $63

Eating Out

Arima

$177 13.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 31.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Arima

$146 11.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Arima

$69 5.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 2.5% $1.8

Getting Around

Arima

$8.6 * 0.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 355% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $508 in Arima versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 148% higher in Arima, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Arima versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Arima

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

23:28 11:28 PM

11 h ahead of Arima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar ($)

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TTD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arima Phuket 16,960 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Arima
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

Arima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arima costs about 5% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,902 per month in Arima and $1,811 in Phuket. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,268 in Arima and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $178 per month in Arima and $558 in Phuket. 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 $1,207, than in Arima at $1,268. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,268 in Arima. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.