Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arima and Tobago

For one person, living costs are similar in Arima and in Tobago: $1,268 and $1,214 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Arima
Learn more

Arima Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Tobago
Learn more

Tobago Living Index

Jump to prices

Arima

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,268

/mo nomad

Tobago

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arima and in Tobago

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 Tobago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,268 per month in Arima vs $1,214 in Tobago, rent included.

Arima $1,268
Tobago $1,214

A couple spends around $2,161 per month in Arima vs $1,829 in Tobago, rent included.

Arima $2,161
Tobago $1,829

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Arima vs $2,444 in Tobago, rent included.

Arima $3,054
Tobago $2,444

Arima costs about 4% more than Tobago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arima and Tobago are more affordable than the global median – Arima 6% lower, Tobago 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 TTD 70.7

$10.11 TTD 68.0

3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 TTD 488

$42.09 TTD 283

72.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 TTD 59.0

$9.67 TTD 65.1

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$3.68 TTD 24.73

$3.86 TTD 25.94

-4.66%

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

$1.04 TTD 7.02

$1.63 TTD 10.97

-36.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.17

$1.64 TTD 11.04

-53.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.19

$3.65 TTD 24.56

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 TTD 19.66

$4.48 TTD 30.12

-34.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 TTD 16.03

$2.52 TTD 16.94

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.66

$2.42 TTD 16.26

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 TTD 19.60

$2.39 TTD 16.09

21.76%

Eggs

$4.40 TTD 29.61

$4.94 TTD 33.23

-10.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 TTD 44.27

$6.39 TTD 42.96

2.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 TTD 44.89

$7.20 TTD 48.41

-7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 TTD 58.6

$6.00 TTD 40.39

45.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 TTD 36.23

$4.12 TTD 27.72

30.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 TTD 15.41

$2.41 TTD 16.21

-4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 TTD 25.39

$2.24 TTD 15.07

68.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 TTD 33.23

$2.24 TTD 15.06

120.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 TTD 8.91

$1.00 TTD 6.70

32.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 TTD 6.73

$1.59 TTD 10.67

-37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 TTD 9.04

$1.88 TTD 12.63

-28.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 TTD 6.38

$1.45 TTD 9.77

-34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 TTD 32.42

$4.51 TTD 30.31

6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.96 TTD 128

$22.33 TTD 150

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 TTD 12.84

$3.72 TTD 25.04

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 TTD 19.85

$4.50 TTD 30.28

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.09

$0.77 TTD 5.18

36.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 TTD 4.90

$0.72 TTD 4.83

1.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 TTD 4.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.69 TTD 98.8

$8.87 TTD 59.7

65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.76

$1.03 TTD 6.93

11.65%

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

$26.9K TTD 180.7K

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

$35.5K TTD 238.7K

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

$89.5 TTD 602

$59.5 TTD 400

50.50%

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

$44.08 TTD 297

$26.84 TTD 181

64.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 TTD 386

$73.2 TTD 492

-21.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 TTD 345

$51.2 TTD 344

0.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 TTD 60.1

$7.86 TTD 52.9

13.61%

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

$178 TTD 1,197

$72.4 TTD 487

145.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K TTD 72.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 TTD 414

$44.66 TTD 300

37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 TTD 300

$47.85 TTD 322

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 975

$141 TTD 949

2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 TTD 498

$90.0 TTD 606

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 TTD 3,415

$406 TTD 2,732

24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 TTD 2,439

$332 TTD 2,232

9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 TTD 7,055

$548 TTD 3,683

91.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 TTD 6,066

$508 TTD 3,416

77.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 TTD 8,219

$730 TTD 4,912

67.32%

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 Tobago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arima

$363 28.6%

Tobago

$332 27.3% 8.5% $31

Groceries & Markets

Arima

$314 24.7%

Tobago

$310 25.6% 1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arima

$191 15.1%

Tobago

$159 13.1% 16.5% $32

Eating Out

Arima

$177 13.9%

Tobago

$196 16.2% 11.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Arima

$146 11.5%

Tobago

$146 12% 0.5% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Arima

$69 5.5%

Tobago

$67 5.5% 3.4% $2.3

Getting Around

Arima

$8.6 * 0.7%

Tobago

$3.8 * 0.3% 55.6% $4.8

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 $406 in Tobago. 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 67% 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 $42.00 in Tobago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $310 – making Tobago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Arima

🇹🇹 Tobago

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

Same time as Arima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

54,000

💱 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 Tobago 95 km

From you

Arima
Tobago

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 Tobago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arima costs about 4% more than Tobago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,822 in Tobago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tobago, 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 $1,214 in Tobago. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $178 per month in Arima and $72.4 in Tobago. 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 Tobago, where all-in costs run around $1,214, than in Arima at $1,268. In Tobago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Tobago. 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.