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: $1,613 in Port of Spain versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Port of Spain versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,841 in Port of Spain versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 29% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 17% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.54 TTD 70.1

$4.56 ฿150

131.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 TTD 602

$32.62 ฿1,073

177.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 TTD 58.2

$8.90 ฿293

-1.69%

Cappuccino

$3.80 TTD 25.29

$2.80 ฿92.2

35.71%

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

$1.05 TTD 6.99

$0.88 ฿28.94

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.71

$0.49 ฿16.08

44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 TTD 15.15

$2.39 ฿78.5

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 TTD 24.51

$3.71 ฿122

-0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 TTD 16.27

$1.79 ฿58.8

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 TTD 16.72

$1.44 ฿47.40

74.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 TTD 19.15

$1.58 ฿52.1

82.28%

Eggs

$4.53 TTD 30.15

$2.13 ฿69.9

112.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 TTD 45.56

$19.92 ฿655

-65.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 TTD 67.4

$3.43 ฿113

195.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 TTD 78.7

$11.33 ฿372

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 TTD 37.33

$2.95 ฿97.0

90.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 TTD 20.11

$1.72 ฿56.6

75.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 TTD 25.24

$2.32 ฿76.5

63.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 TTD 28.41

$2.08 ฿68.4

105.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 TTD 14.31

$1.47 ฿48.34

46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 TTD 12.94

$1.36 ฿44.65

43.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 TTD 12.27

$1.10 ฿36.13

67.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TTD 9.42

$0.57 ฿18.89

149.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 TTD 40.30

$4.27 ฿140

41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 TTD 126

$18.42 ฿606

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 TTD 14.90

$1.87 ฿61.5

19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 TTD 19.79

$2.92 ฿96.1

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 TTD 7.77

$2.22 ฿73.0

-47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 TTD 902

$22.90 ฿753

492.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 TTD 6.82

$3.03 ฿99.6

-66.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.23

$1.07 ฿35.32

15.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 TTD 99.6

$3.93 ฿129

280.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.79

$1.49 ฿49.06

-21.48%

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

$37.4K TTD 248.8K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

37.85%

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

$41.7K TTD 277.6K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

51.94%

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

$91.5 TTD 609

$103 ฿3,380

-10.97%

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

$52.4 TTD 349

$10.99 ฿361

376.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 TTD 382

$17.51 ฿576

228.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 TTD 380

$53.5 ฿1,760

6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 TTD 87.3

$11.20 ฿368

17.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.72 TTD 58.0

$7.48 ฿246

16.58%

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

$399 TTD 2,655

$557 ฿18.3K

-28.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K TTD 73.8K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-6.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 TTD 364

$64.1 ฿2,107

-14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 TTD 352

$29.07 ฿956

82.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 TTD 981

$96.0 ฿3,155

53.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 TTD 685

$90.3 ฿2,970

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 TTD 6,841

$730 ฿24.0K

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 TTD 3,449

$500 ฿16.4K

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 TTD 14.6K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

4.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 TTD 7,949

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 TTD 29.1K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

21.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 TTD 13.1K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-21.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$776 TTD 5,165

$503 ฿16.6K

54.18%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Port of Spain and $730 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $273 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 29% 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: $1,028 in Port of Spain versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $399 in Port of Spain versus $557 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 $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,613 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 29% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.