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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,593 in Port of Spain versus $938 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,747 in Port of Spain versus $1,614 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,901 in Port of Spain versus $2,289 in Arouca.

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 70% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 19% above, Arouca is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 TTD 70.8

$10.19 TTD 68.7

3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 TTD 604

$89.3 TTD 602

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 TTD 49.00

$7.19 TTD 48.46

1.11%

Cappuccino

$3.73 TTD 25.16

$3.64 TTD 24.54

2.47%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.42

$1.09 TTD 7.36

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.15

$0.82 TTD 5.50

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.83

$1.82 TTD 12.30

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 TTD 20.38

$3.17 TTD 21.34

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 TTD 18.28

$2.68 TTD 18.06

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 TTD 19.02

$2.74 TTD 18.46

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.61

$2.63 TTD 17.70

-0.76%

Eggs

$5.14 TTD 34.65

$4.95 TTD 33.36

3.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 TTD 52.4

$8.10 TTD 54.6

-4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 TTD 71.5

$10.57 TTD 71.2

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 TTD 96.9

$14.19 TTD 95.6

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 TTD 39.05

$5.72 TTD 38.53

1.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 TTD 17.09

$2.57 TTD 17.33

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 TTD 28.60

$4.32 TTD 29.14

-1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 TTD 32.83

$4.87 TTD 32.79

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 TTD 9.97

$1.44 TTD 9.73

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.29

$1.66 TTD 11.22

0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 TTD 13.06

$1.90 TTD 12.81

2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TTD 9.55

$1.40 TTD 9.44

1.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 TTD 40.85

$5.80 TTD 39.12

4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.02 TTD 128

$19.17 TTD 129

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 TTD 14.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.43

$2.85 TTD 19.23

-4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 TTD 667

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 TTD 6.86

$1.04 TTD 7.01

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 TTD 8.66

$1.23 TTD 8.28

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.61 TTD 98.5

$15.06 TTD 101

-2.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.67

$1.10 TTD 7.44

3.64%

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

$34.4K TTD 231.8K

$33.8K TTD 227.5K

1.86%

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

$38.3K TTD 257.8K

$39.1K TTD 263.2K

-2.06%

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

$79.6 TTD 537

$79.4 TTD 535

0.29%

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

$46.31 TTD 312

$46.34 TTD 312

-0.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 TTD 414

$61.2 TTD 412

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 TTD 365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.11 TTD 88.4

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 TTD 69.0

$9.99 TTD 67.4

2.40%

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

$330 TTD 2,225

$326 TTD 2,199

1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,163 TTD 48.3K

$7,079 TTD 47.7K

1.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 TTD 405

$59.3 TTD 400

1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.87 TTD 262

$38.67 TTD 261

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 967

$144 TTD 968

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 TTD 861

$126 TTD 850

1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 TTD 5,155

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 TTD 3,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 TTD 12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 TTD 8,664

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,344 TTD 29.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,726 TTD 11.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 TTD 5,188

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

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

Last update for Port of Spain: July 13, 2026

Last update for Arouca: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $90.0 in Port of Spain vs $89.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $377 per month, with Arouca 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

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

Port of Spain and Arouca differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,593 vs $938 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,390 in Port of Spain and $1,407 in Arouca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $330 in Port of Spain versus $326 in Arouca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $90.0 in Port of Spain. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Arouca versus $1,593 in Port of Spain, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.