Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arima and Port of Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in Arima: $1,268 a month against $1,632 in Port of Spain, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Arima
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Arima Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Port of Spain
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Port of Spain Living Index

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Arima

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,268

/mo nomad

Port of Spain

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arima and in Port of Spain

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 Port of Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,268 per month in Arima vs $1,632 in Port of Spain, rent included.

Arima $1,268
Port of Spain $1,632

A couple spends around $2,161 per month in Arima vs $2,763 in Port of Spain, rent included.

Arima $2,161
Port of Spain $2,763

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Arima vs $3,894 in Port of Spain, rent included.

Arima $3,054
Port of Spain $3,894

Arima is about 22% cheaper than Port of Spain, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Arima sits 6% below the global median, while Port of Spain is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 TTD 70.7

$10.39 TTD 69.9

1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 TTD 488

$88.1 TTD 592

-17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 TTD 59.0

$9.08 TTD 61.1

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$3.68 TTD 24.73

$3.79 TTD 25.51

-2.90%

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

$1.04 TTD 7.02

$0.99 TTD 6.67

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.17

$0.77 TTD 5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.19

$2.14 TTD 14.38

-15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 TTD 19.66

$3.61 TTD 24.29

-19.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 TTD 16.03

$2.47 TTD 16.62

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.66

$2.46 TTD 16.53

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 TTD 19.60

$2.81 TTD 18.92

3.56%

Eggs

$4.40 TTD 29.61

$4.46 TTD 30.03

-1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 TTD 44.27

$6.59 TTD 44.36

-0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 TTD 44.89

$9.89 TTD 66.5

-32.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 TTD 58.6

$11.36 TTD 76.4

-23.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 TTD 36.23

$5.54 TTD 37.28

-2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 TTD 15.41

$3.11 TTD 20.95

-26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 TTD 25.39

$3.70 TTD 24.86

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 TTD 33.23

$4.38 TTD 29.46

12.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 TTD 8.91

$2.16 TTD 14.54

-38.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 TTD 6.73

$1.87 TTD 12.56

-46.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 TTD 9.04

$1.90 TTD 12.77

-29.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 TTD 6.38

$1.35 TTD 9.05

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 TTD 32.42

$5.90 TTD 39.69

-18.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.96 TTD 128

$19.26 TTD 130

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 TTD 12.84

$2.21 TTD 14.85

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 TTD 19.85

$2.94 TTD 19.77

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.09

$1.35 TTD 9.10

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 TTD 908

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 TTD 4.90

$1.06 TTD 7.10

-31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 TTD 4.85

$1.26 TTD 8.49

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.69 TTD 98.8

$14.48 TTD 97.4

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.76

$1.16 TTD 7.84

-0.86%

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

$26.9K TTD 180.7K

$36.7K TTD 246.7K

-26.77%

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

$35.5K TTD 238.7K

$41.2K TTD 276.9K

-13.78%

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

$89.5 TTD 602

$90.6 TTD 609

-1.21%

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

$44.08 TTD 297

$51.6 TTD 347

-14.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 TTD 386

$56.8 TTD 382

1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 TTD 345

$57.4 TTD 386

-10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 TTD 87.0

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 TTD 60.1

$8.69 TTD 58.4

2.76%

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

$178 TTD 1,197

$394 TTD 2,649

-54.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K TTD 72.3K

$10.9K TTD 73.3K

-1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 TTD 414

$54.4 TTD 366

13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 TTD 300

$51.7 TTD 347

-13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 975

$147 TTD 987

-1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 TTD 498

$105 TTD 703

-29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 TTD 3,415

$1,003 TTD 6,750

-49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 TTD 2,439

$515 TTD 3,465

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 TTD 7,055

$2,184 TTD 14.7K

-51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 TTD 6,066

$1,210 TTD 8,138

-25.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,493 TTD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,984 TTD 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 TTD 8,219

$757 TTD 5,090

61.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

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

Last update for Arima: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arima

$363 28.6%

Port of Spain

$515 31.6% 42% $152

Groceries & Markets

Arima

$314 24.7%

Port of Spain

$354 21.7% 12.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arima

$191 15.1%

Port of Spain

$199 12.2% 4.2% $8.1

Eating Out

Arima

$177 13.9%

Port of Spain

$181 11.1% 2.4% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Arima

$146 11.5%

Port of Spain

$161 9.9% 9.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Arima

$69 5.5%

Port of Spain

$75 4.6% 8% $5.5

Getting Around

Arima

$8.6 * 0.7%

Port of Spain

$148 9.1% 1628% $139

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 $1,003 in Port of Spain. 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 61% higher in Arima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Arima versus $88.0 in Port of Spain. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $354 – making Arima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Arima

🇹🇹 Port of Spain

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

Same time as Arima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

37,074 Capital

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arima Port of Spain 26 km

From you

Arima
Port of Spain

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 Port of Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port of Spain costs about 29% more than Arima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $2,448 in Port of Spain. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arima, 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 $1,632 in Port of Spain. That's a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $178 per month in Arima and $394 in Port of Spain. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arima, where all-in costs run around $1,268, than in Port of Spain at $1,632. In Arima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port of Spain it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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