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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,593 in Port of Spain versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,747 in Port of Spain versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,901 in Port of Spain versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 27% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 19% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 TTD 70.8

$4.55 ฿153

130.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 TTD 604

$46.18 ฿1,554

93.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 TTD 49.00

$8.84 ฿298

-17.76%

Cappuccino

$3.73 TTD 25.16

$3.06 ฿103

21.90%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.42

$0.73 ฿24.42

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.15

$0.40 ฿13.40

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.83

$2.43 ฿81.8

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 TTD 20.38

$3.78 ฿127

-20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 TTD 18.28

$2.26 ฿76.0

19.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 TTD 19.02

$1.81 ฿60.9

55.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.61

$2.25 ฿75.8

16.00%

Eggs

$5.14 TTD 34.65

$2.25 ฿75.6

128.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 TTD 52.4

$19.51 ฿656

-60.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 TTD 71.5

$3.65 ฿123

190.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 TTD 96.9

$13.05 ฿439

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 TTD 39.05

$3.23 ฿109

79.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 TTD 17.09

$1.62 ฿54.4

56.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 TTD 28.60

$2.38 ฿80.2

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 TTD 32.83

$2.03 ฿68.2

139.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 TTD 9.97

$1.53 ฿51.6

-3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.29

$1.50 ฿50.5

11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 TTD 13.06

$0.98 ฿32.93

97.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TTD 9.55

$0.52 ฿17.40

173.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 TTD 40.85

$4.44 ฿149

36.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.02 TTD 128

$18.32 ฿616

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 TTD 14.95

$1.86 ฿62.7

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.43

$2.68 ฿90.2

1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.05

$1.41 ฿47.49

-25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 TTD 667

$11.70 ฿394

746.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 TTD 6.86

$3.11 ฿105

-67.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 TTD 8.66

$1.04 ฿35.08

24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.61 TTD 98.5

$14.11 ฿475

3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.67

$1.31 ฿44.13

-12.98%

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

$34.4K TTD 231.8K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

23.62%

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

$38.3K TTD 257.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

15.16%

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

$79.6 TTD 537

$122 ฿4,120

-34.97%

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

$46.31 TTD 312

$13.59 ฿457

240.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 TTD 414

$18.70 ฿629

228.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 TTD 365

$60.5 ฿2,035

-10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.11 TTD 88.4

$16.98 ฿572

-22.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 TTD 69.0

$9.07 ฿305

12.79%

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

$330 TTD 2,225

$706 ฿23.8K

-53.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,163 TTD 48.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-54.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 TTD 405

$58.6 ฿1,970

2.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.87 TTD 262

$35.36 ฿1,190

9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 967

$115 ฿3,885

24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 TTD 861

$83.7 ฿2,818

52.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 TTD 5,155

$626 ฿21.1K

22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 TTD 3,254

$445 ฿15.0K

8.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 TTD 12.3K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-10.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 TTD 8,664

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,344 TTD 29.3K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

24.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,726 TTD 11.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-33.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 TTD 5,188

$500 ฿16.8K

54.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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 Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $765 in Port of Spain and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 54% 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: $90.0 in Port of Spain vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $289 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Port of Spain, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $765 in Port of Spain versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Port of Spain versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Port of Spain. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,593 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, Port of Spain and Phuket 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 27% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.