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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Port of Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,743 in Port of Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,913 in Port of Spain.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Port of Spain, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Port of Spain is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$10.21 TTD 68.4

-53.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$89.4 TTD 599

-49.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.31 TTD 48.97

15.32%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.66 TTD 24.54

-19.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.05 TTD 7.01

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.82 TTD 5.50

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.81 TTD 12.13

33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.05 TTD 20.46

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.63 TTD 17.61

-15.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.71 TTD 18.16

-32.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.56 TTD 17.16

-15.23%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$5.03 TTD 33.73

-56.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.98 TTD 53.5

147.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$10.31 TTD 69.1

-64.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.21 TTD 95.2

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.73 TTD 38.38

-42.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.51 TTD 16.79

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.34 TTD 29.05

-44.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.82 TTD 32.28

-56.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.45 TTD 9.71

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.67 TTD 11.18

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.96 TTD 13.15

-49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.47 TTD 9.84

-65.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.77 TTD 38.67

-23.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$18.09 TTD 121

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.17 TTD 14.55

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.85 TTD 19.07

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.06 TTD 7.10

29.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$95.6 TTD 641

-88.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.05 TTD 7.01

187.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.28 TTD 8.56

-22.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$14.91 TTD 99.9

-5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.09 TTD 7.31

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.1K TTD 228.1K

-17.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.0K TTD 254.6K

-13.43%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$80.6 TTD 540

50.92%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$45.86 TTD 307

-70.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$61.2 TTD 410

-70.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$53.7 TTD 360

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.24 TTD 88.7

29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.05 TTD 67.3

-13.53%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$329 TTD 2,203

110.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,096 TTD 47.5K

121.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$59.5 TTD 398

0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.55 TTD 258

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$144 TTD 967

-20.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$127 TTD 849

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$759 TTD 5,086

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$479 TTD 3,208

-8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,841 TTD 12.3K

13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,273 TTD 8,526

18.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$4,382 TTD 29.4K

-14.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,724 TTD 11.5K

51.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$733 TTD 4,908

-30.63%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $759 in Port of Spain. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 44% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $89.0 in Port of Spain for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $373 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Port of Spain earns 44% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $759 in Port of Spain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $329 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 27% higher in Port of Spain. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,573 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 24% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.