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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,102 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,849 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,595 in Portmore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Portmore 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.80 JMD 755

-6.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,523

$62.4 JMD 9,810

-26.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.68 JMD 1,365

0.92%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$4.41 JMD 693

-32.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.93

$0.63 JMD 98.7

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.50 JMD 78.9

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.84 JMD 289

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.25 JMD 354

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.7

$3.10 JMD 487

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.55 JMD 558

-48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.02 JMD 160

113.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$3.58 JMD 563

-37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$10.86 JMD 1,707

84.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.19 JMD 973

-41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.48 JMD 1,175

81.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.91 JMD 929

-45.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.99 JMD 470

-45.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.88 JMD 453

-19.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$3.04 JMD 478

-31.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.10 JMD 330

-26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.60

$1.92 JMD 302

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.89

$1.52 JMD 239

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$1.27 JMD 200

-62.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$8.66 JMD 1,361

-49.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$11.16 JMD 1,754

66.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$2.80 JMD 440

-33.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.13 JMD 335

24.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.33

$1.59 JMD 250

-10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$63.4 JMD 9,968

-81.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.93 JMD 146

240.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.46

$3.22 JMD 507

-68.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$6.43 JMD 1,011

116.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.89

$1.09 JMD 171

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿928.2K

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

-34.40%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-0.62%

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

$123 ฿4,110

$156 JMD 24.6K

-21.35%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$21.70 JMD 3,411

-36.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$51.4 JMD 8,082

-64.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,027

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$13.24 JMD 2,081

-33.01%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$227 JMD 35.6K

203.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.0K

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

544.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,981

$25.67 JMD 4,035

131.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,159

$26.00 JMD 4,087

33.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,847

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

61.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,798

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$310 JMD 48.8K

100.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$223 JMD 35.0K

100.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$661 JMD 103.9K

207.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$583 JMD 91.7K

156.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

-54.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

-56.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

-62.39%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $310 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 166% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 166% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $310 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $227 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 $1,102 in Portmore versus $1,264 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 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.