Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Port of Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Port of Spain

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Arouca versus $1,573 in Port of Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Arouca versus $2,743 in Port of Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,359 in Arouca versus $3,913 in Port of Spain.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 40% less than in Port of Spain, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arouca is 29% below, Port of Spain is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.22 TTD 68.5

$10.21 TTD 68.4

0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 TTD 601

$89.4 TTD 599

0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 TTD 48.19

$7.31 TTD 48.97

-1.64%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.57

$3.66 TTD 24.54

0.27%

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

$1.06 TTD 7.09

$1.05 TTD 7.01

0.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.20

$0.82 TTD 5.50

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.24

$1.81 TTD 12.13

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 TTD 20.29

$3.05 TTD 20.46

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 TTD 17.86

$2.63 TTD 17.61

1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 TTD 18.21

$2.71 TTD 18.16

0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.22

$2.56 TTD 17.16

0.39%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 33.78

$5.03 TTD 33.73

0.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 TTD 52.2

$7.98 TTD 53.5

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 TTD 69.1

$10.31 TTD 69.1

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 94.7

$14.21 TTD 95.2

-0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.23

$5.73 TTD 38.38

2.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.61

$2.51 TTD 16.79

4.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 TTD 28.14

$4.34 TTD 29.05

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.33

$4.82 TTD 32.28

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 TTD 9.55

$1.45 TTD 9.71

-2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.13

$1.67 TTD 11.18

-0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 TTD 12.78

$1.96 TTD 13.15

-2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 TTD 9.71

$1.47 TTD 9.84

-1.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 TTD 38.62

$5.77 TTD 38.67

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 TTD 125

$18.09 TTD 121

2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 TTD 14.18

$2.17 TTD 14.55

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.26

$2.85 TTD 19.07

-4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 TTD 641

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TTD 6.97

$1.05 TTD 7.01

-0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.24

$1.28 TTD 8.56

-3.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.53 TTD 97.3

$14.91 TTD 99.9

-2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.63

$1.09 TTD 7.31

4.59%

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

$34.1K TTD 228.8K

$34.1K TTD 228.1K

0.28%

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

$39.0K TTD 261.0K

$38.0K TTD 254.6K

2.50%

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

$81.2 TTD 544

$80.6 TTD 540

0.63%

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

$45.98 TTD 308

$45.86 TTD 307

0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 TTD 420

$61.2 TTD 410

2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 TTD 360

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 TTD 88.7

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 TTD 68.8

$10.05 TTD 67.3

2.29%

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

$329 TTD 2,207

$329 TTD 2,203

0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,066 TTD 47.3K

$7,096 TTD 47.5K

-0.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 TTD 399

$59.5 TTD 398

0.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.43 TTD 257

$38.55 TTD 258

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 969

$144 TTD 967

0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 871

$127 TTD 849

2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 TTD 5,086

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 TTD 3,208

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 TTD 12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 TTD 8,526

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,382 TTD 29.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 TTD 11.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 TTD 4,908

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

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

Last update for Arouca: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $90.0 in Arouca vs $89.0 in Port of Spain. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $373, with Arouca cheaper for home cooking.

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

Arouca vs Port of Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arouca and Port of Spain differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $1,573 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,420 in Arouca and $2,360 in Port of Spain to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $329 in Arouca versus $329 in Port of Spain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $89.0 in Port of Spain. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Arouca versus $1,573 in Port of Spain, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.