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: $1,573 in Port of Spain versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Port of Spain versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,913 in Port of Spain versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 24% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 17% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.21 TTD 68.4

$4.70 ฿153

117.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 TTD 599

$45.37 ฿1,482

97.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 TTD 48.97

$8.43 ฿275

-13.29%

Cappuccino

$3.66 TTD 24.54

$2.93 ฿95.6

24.91%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.01

$0.69 ฿22.40

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.50

$0.37 ฿11.99

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.13

$2.41 ฿78.6

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 TTD 20.46

$3.72 ฿122

-18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 TTD 17.61

$2.23 ฿72.9

17.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 TTD 18.16

$1.83 ฿59.8

48.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 TTD 17.16

$2.17 ฿70.8

17.97%

Eggs

$5.03 TTD 33.73

$2.21 ฿72.3

127.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 TTD 53.5

$19.74 ฿645

-59.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 TTD 69.1

$3.63 ฿119

184.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 TTD 95.2

$13.53 ฿442

5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 TTD 38.38

$3.28 ฿107

74.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TTD 16.79

$1.61 ฿52.6

55.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 TTD 29.05

$2.41 ฿78.6

80.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 TTD 32.28

$2.08 ฿68.1

131.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 TTD 9.71

$1.53 ฿49.93

-5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.18

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.15

$0.99 ฿32.29

97.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.84

$0.51 ฿16.67

188.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 TTD 38.67

$4.41 ฿144

30.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.09 TTD 121

$19.38 ฿633

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 TTD 14.55

$1.78 ฿58.1

21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TTD 19.07

$2.71 ฿88.6

5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$1.37 ฿44.79

-22.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 TTD 641

$11.39 ฿372

739.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.01

$3.02 ฿98.6

-65.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.56

$0.99 ฿32.48

29.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 TTD 99.9

$14.10 ฿461

5.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.31

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.85%

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

$34.1K TTD 228.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

20.74%

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

$38.0K TTD 254.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

15.52%

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

$80.6 TTD 540

$122 ฿3,975

-33.74%

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

$45.86 TTD 307

$13.57 ฿443

237.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 TTD 410

$18.31 ฿598

234.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 TTD 360

$60.2 ฿1,967

-10.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 TTD 88.7

$17.14 ฿560

-22.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 TTD 67.3

$8.69 ฿284

15.65%

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

$329 TTD 2,203

$693 ฿22.6K

-52.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 TTD 47.5K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-54.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 TTD 398

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 TTD 258

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 967

$115 ฿3,743

25.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 TTD 849

$83.3 ฿2,720

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 TTD 5,086

$613 ฿20.0K

23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 TTD 3,208

$437 ฿14.3K

9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 TTD 12.3K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-12.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 TTD 8,526

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-15.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,382 TTD 29.4K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

16.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 TTD 11.5K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-34.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 TTD 4,908

$508 ฿16.6K

44.16%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Port of Spain and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 44% 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: $89.0 in Port of Spain vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $293 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Port of Spain pays 44% more on average, 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: $759 in Port of Spain versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Port of Spain versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Port of Spain. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,573 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 24% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.