Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,115 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,852 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,590 in Portmore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Portmore 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$4.73 JMD 743

-4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$62.0 JMD 9,734

-24.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$8.59 JMD 1,349

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$4.45 JMD 699

-30.79%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.67 JMD 106

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.54 JMD 85.2

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.87 JMD 293

29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.22 JMD 349

63.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$3.11 JMD 488

-29.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$3.54 JMD 555

-48.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.02 JMD 160

118.63%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$3.45 JMD 542

-35.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$11.22 JMD 1,763

74.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.19 JMD 972

-39.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$7.56 JMD 1,187

78.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$5.95 JMD 935

-43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.00 JMD 471

-46.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.98 JMD 468

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.92 JMD 458

-31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.01 JMD 316

-23.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.95 JMD 307

-25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.54 JMD 242

-34.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.23 JMD 193

-60.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$8.67 JMD 1,362

-50.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$11.17 JMD 1,754

71.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.75 JMD 432

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.16 JMD 338

26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$1.61 JMD 253

-11.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$61.5 JMD 9,650

-80.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.90 JMD 141

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$3.15 JMD 494

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$6.36 JMD 998

118.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.04 JMD 163

24.04%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

-34.55%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

1.80%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$160 JMD 25.1K

-23.56%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$21.83 JMD 3,428

-36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$51.2 JMD 8,038

-63.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$13.20 JMD 2,073

-32.65%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$223 JMD 35.0K

209.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$2,486 JMD 390.3K

550.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$26.14 JMD 4,104

121.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$25.75 JMD 4,044

37.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$69.8 JMD 11.0K

62.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$75.0 JMD 11.8K

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$316 JMD 49.5K

92.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$222 JMD 34.8K

102.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$658 JMD 103.3K

208.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$595 JMD 93.5K

150.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$7,674 JMD 1.2M

-53.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$5,778 JMD 907.3K

-55.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,274 JMD 200.1K

-60.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Portmore: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $316 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 152% 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 $62.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $317 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Portmore. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $316 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $223 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,115 in Portmore versus $1,223 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.