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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,593 in Port of Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,747 in Port of Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,901 in Port of Spain.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Port of Spain, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Port of Spain is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.50 TTD 70.7

-56.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$89.6 TTD 602

-48.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.27 TTD 48.90

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.73 TTD 25.11

-17.96%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.10 TTD 7.40

-33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.76 TTD 5.13

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.90 TTD 12.80

27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.02 TTD 20.34

25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.71 TTD 18.24

-16.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.82 TTD 18.98

-35.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.61 TTD 17.57

-13.79%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$5.14 TTD 34.58

-56.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.77 TTD 52.3

151.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.60 TTD 71.3

-65.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.37 TTD 96.7

-9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.79 TTD 38.97

-44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.54 TTD 17.06

-36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.24 TTD 28.54

-43.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.87 TTD 32.76

-58.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.48 TTD 9.95

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.67 TTD 11.27

-10.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.94 TTD 13.03

-49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.42 TTD 9.53

-63.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.06 TTD 40.76

-26.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$19.02 TTD 128

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.22 TTD 14.92

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.73 TTD 18.39

-1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.05 TTD 7.04

34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$99.0 TTD 666

-88.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.02 TTD 6.85

204.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.29 TTD 8.65

-19.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$14.61 TTD 98.3

-3.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.14 TTD 7.65

14.91%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.4K TTD 231.3K

-19.11%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$38.3K TTD 257.3K

-13.16%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$79.6 TTD 536

53.78%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$46.31 TTD 311

-70.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$61.4 TTD 413

-69.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$54.2 TTD 365

11.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.11 TTD 88.2

29.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.23 TTD 68.8

-11.34%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$330 TTD 2,221

113.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,163 TTD 48.2K

120.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$60.1 TTD 404

-2.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$38.87 TTD 261

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$143 TTD 965

-19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$128 TTD 860

-34.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$765 TTD 5,144

-18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$483 TTD 3,247

-7.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,824 TTD 12.3K

11.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,285 TTD 8,646

16.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,344 TTD 29.2K

-19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,726 TTD 11.6K

49.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$770 TTD 5,177

-35.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $765 in Port of Spain. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 54% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $90.0 in Port of Spain for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $378 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Port of Spain. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $765 in Port of Spain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $330 in Port of Spain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Port of Spain. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,593 in Port of Spain, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. 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 Port of Spain, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Port of Spain 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 27% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.