😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,112 in Portmore.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,853 in Portmore.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,594 in Portmore.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than Portmore, driven mainly by Getting Around.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, Portmore17% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$4.82JMD 757
-3.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$62.9JMD 9,885
-25.58%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$8.78JMD 1,380
0.68%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$4.23JMD 665
-29.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$0.69JMD 108
7.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$0.50JMD 78.8
-26.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$1.85JMD 291
31.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$2.23JMD 350
61.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$3.05JMD 479
-25.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$3.63JMD 571
-49.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$0.99JMD 155
126.26%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$3.53JMD 554
-34.28%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$11.18JMD 1,757
75.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$6.44JMD 1,011
-43.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$7.50JMD 1,178
74.67%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$5.99JMD 941
-43.41%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$3.11JMD 488
-47.27%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$2.95JMD 464
-18.31%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$3.06JMD 481
-33.66%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$2.01JMD 315
-22.39%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.99JMD 313
-24.62%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.59JMD 250
-35.85%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.28JMD 201
-61.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$8.71JMD 1,368
-48.91%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$11.49JMD 1,804
64.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$2.84JMD 446
-37.32%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$2.26JMD 354
21.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$1.60JMD 252
-12.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$62.9JMD 9,884
-81.76%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$0.91JMD 143
242.86%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$3.25JMD 510
-69.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$6.29JMD 988
124.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.08JMD 170
25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$42.7KJMD 6.7M
-36.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$33.8KJMD 5.3M
-2.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$156JMD 24.5K
-19.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$22.40JMD 3,518
-39.42%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$51.8JMD 8,129
-64.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
-
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$13.17JMD 2,068
-30.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$224JMD 35.2K
211.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$2,479JMD 389.4K
528.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$25.93JMD 4,073
122.75%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$25.32JMD 3,977
39.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$69.7JMD 11.0K
62.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$74.9JMD 11.8K
15.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$314JMD 49.4K
95.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$215JMD 33.8K
107.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$646JMD 101.5K
217.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$598JMD 93.8K
149.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$7,724JMD 1.2M
-51.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$5,745JMD 902.3K
-53.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Portmore
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$1,267JMD 199.0K
-58.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
9.15
-41.75%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Portmore: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $314 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Portmore pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $322 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Phuket vs Portmore: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Portmore cheaper than Phuket?
Portmore is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Portmore?
On paper, Portmore earns 142% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Portmore?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $314 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $224 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Portmore?
Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Portmore?
At $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Portmore more family-friendly?
For families, Portmore is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Portmore?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Portmore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.