Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port of Spain and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,632 in Port of Spain, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Port of Spain
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Port of Spain Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Port of Spain

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,632

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port of Spain and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port of Spain and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,632 in Port of Spain versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Port of Spain $1,632
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,763 in Port of Spain versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Port of Spain $2,763
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,894 in Port of Spain versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Port of Spain $3,894
Phuket $2,867

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 35% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 21% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 TTD 69.9

$4.58 ฿153

126.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 TTD 592

$32.48 ฿1,086

171.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 TTD 61.1

$8.55 ฿286

6.20%

Cappuccino

$3.79 TTD 25.51

$2.72 ฿91.0

39.34%

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

$0.99 TTD 6.67

$0.94 ฿31.25

5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.15

$0.49 ฿16.39

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 TTD 14.38

$2.59 ฿86.6

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 TTD 24.29

$3.83 ฿128

-5.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 TTD 16.62

$1.74 ฿58.1

41.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 TTD 16.53

$1.43 ฿47.82

72.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 TTD 18.92

$1.53 ฿51.0

83.66%

Eggs

$4.46 TTD 30.03

$2.17 ฿72.7

105.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 TTD 44.36

$19.15 ฿640

-65.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 TTD 66.5

$3.30 ฿110

199.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 TTD 76.4

$11.14 ฿372

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 TTD 37.28

$2.95 ฿98.5

87.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 TTD 20.95

$1.68 ฿56.1

85.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 TTD 24.86

$2.30 ฿76.8

60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 TTD 29.46

$2.13 ฿71.3

105.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 TTD 14.54

$1.53 ฿51.1

41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 TTD 12.56

$1.36 ฿45.55

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 TTD 12.77

$1.12 ฿37.44

69.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 TTD 9.05

$0.55 ฿18.24

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 TTD 39.69

$4.26 ฿142

38.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 TTD 130

$18.19 ฿608

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.85

$1.74 ฿58.2

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TTD 19.77

$2.79 ฿93.3

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 TTD 9.10

$2.22 ฿74.1

-39.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 TTD 908

$22.06 ฿737

511.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$2.91 ฿97.3

-63.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 TTD 8.49

$1.01 ฿33.79

24.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.48 TTD 97.4

$3.83 ฿128

278.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 TTD 7.84

$1.49 ฿49.85

-22.15%

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

$36.7K TTD 246.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

37.49%

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

$41.2K TTD 276.9K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

54.10%

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

$90.6 TTD 609

$99.4 ฿3,321

-8.86%

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

$51.6 TTD 347

$11.28 ฿377

357.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 TTD 382

$17.36 ฿580

227.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 TTD 386

$52.3 ฿1,747

9.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 TTD 87.0

$10.85 ฿362

19.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 TTD 58.4

$7.57 ฿253

14.80%

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

$394 TTD 2,649

$558 ฿18.7K

-29.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K TTD 73.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-5.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 TTD 366

$62.9 ฿2,102

-13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 TTD 347

$28.58 ฿955

80.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 TTD 987

$96.1 ฿3,213

52.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 TTD 703

$88.1 ฿2,943

18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 TTD 6,750

$729 ฿24.4K

37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 TTD 3,465

$460 ฿15.4K

11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 TTD 14.7K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 TTD 8,138

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-1.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,493 TTD 30.2K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

29.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,984 TTD 13.3K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 TTD 5,090

$493 ฿16.5K

53.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for Port of Spain: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port of Spain

$515 31.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 10.7% $55

Groceries & Markets

Port of Spain

$354 21.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 24.5% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port of Spain

$199 12.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 35.7% $71

Eating Out

Port of Spain

$181 11.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 32.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Port of Spain

$161 9.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 22.8% $37

Getting Around

Port of Spain

$148 9.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 73.7% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Port of Spain

$75 4.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 9.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Port of Spain and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 53% 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: $88.0 in Port of Spain vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Port of Spain

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

02:26 2:26 AM

11 h ahead of Port of Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,074 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar ($)

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TTD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port of Spain Phuket 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Port of Spain
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,003 in Port of Spain versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $394 in Port of Spain versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Port of Spain. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,632 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 35% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.