Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port of Spain and Tobago

For one person, living is cheaper in Tobago: $1,214 a month against $1,632 in Port of Spain, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Tobago
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Tobago Living Index

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Port of Spain

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,632

/mo nomad

Tobago

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tobago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,632 in Port of Spain versus $1,214 in Tobago.

Port of Spain $1,632
Tobago $1,214

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,763 in Port of Spain versus $1,829 in Tobago.

Port of Spain $2,763
Tobago $1,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,894 in Port of Spain versus $2,444 in Tobago.

Port of Spain $3,894
Tobago $2,444

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 34% more expensive than in Tobago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port of Spain is 21% above, Tobago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 TTD 69.9

$10.11 TTD 68.0

2.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 TTD 592

$42.09 TTD 283

109.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 TTD 61.1

$9.67 TTD 65.1

-6.10%

Cappuccino

$3.79 TTD 25.51

$3.86 TTD 25.94

-1.81%

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

$0.99 TTD 6.67

$1.63 TTD 10.97

-39.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.15

$1.64 TTD 11.04

-53.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 TTD 14.38

$3.65 TTD 24.56

-41.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 TTD 24.29

$4.48 TTD 30.12

-19.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 TTD 16.62

$2.52 TTD 16.94

-1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 TTD 16.53

$2.42 TTD 16.26

1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 TTD 18.92

$2.39 TTD 16.09

17.57%

Eggs

$4.46 TTD 30.03

$4.94 TTD 33.23

-9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 TTD 44.36

$6.39 TTD 42.96

3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 TTD 66.5

$7.20 TTD 48.41

37.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 TTD 76.4

$6.00 TTD 40.39

89.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 TTD 37.28

$4.12 TTD 27.72

34.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 TTD 20.95

$2.41 TTD 16.21

29.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 TTD 24.86

$2.24 TTD 15.07

65.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 TTD 29.46

$2.24 TTD 15.06

95.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 TTD 14.54

$1.00 TTD 6.70

116.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 TTD 12.56

$1.59 TTD 10.67

17.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 TTD 12.77

$1.88 TTD 12.63

1.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 TTD 9.05

$1.45 TTD 9.77

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 TTD 39.69

$4.51 TTD 30.31

30.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 TTD 130

$22.33 TTD 150

-13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.85

$3.72 TTD 25.04

-40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TTD 19.77

$4.50 TTD 30.28

-34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 TTD 9.10

$0.77 TTD 5.18

75.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 TTD 908

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$0.72 TTD 4.83

47.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 TTD 8.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.48 TTD 97.4

$8.87 TTD 59.7

63.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 TTD 7.84

$1.03 TTD 6.93

12.62%

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

$36.7K TTD 246.7K

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

$41.2K TTD 276.9K

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

$90.6 TTD 609

$59.5 TTD 400

52.35%

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

$51.6 TTD 347

$26.84 TTD 181

92.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 TTD 382

$73.2 TTD 492

-22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 TTD 386

$51.2 TTD 344

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 TTD 87.0

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 TTD 58.4

$7.86 TTD 52.9

10.56%

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

$394 TTD 2,649

$72.4 TTD 487

443.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K TTD 73.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 TTD 366

$44.66 TTD 300

21.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 TTD 347

$47.85 TTD 322

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 TTD 987

$141 TTD 949

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 TTD 703

$90.0 TTD 606

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 TTD 6,750

$406 TTD 2,732

147.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 TTD 3,465

$332 TTD 2,232

55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 TTD 14.7K

$548 TTD 3,683

298.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 TTD 8,138

$508 TTD 3,416

138.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,493 TTD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,984 TTD 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 TTD 5,090

$730 TTD 4,912

3.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

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 Tobago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port of Spain

$515 31.6%

Tobago

$332 27.3% 35.6% $183

Groceries & Markets

Port of Spain

$354 21.7%

Tobago

$310 25.6% 12.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port of Spain

$199 12.2%

Tobago

$159 13.1% 19.9% $40

Eating Out

Port of Spain

$181 11.1%

Tobago

$196 16.2% 8.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Port of Spain

$161 9.9%

Tobago

$146 12% 9.4% $15

Getting Around

Port of Spain

$148 9.1%

Tobago

$3.8 * 0.3% 97.4% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Port of Spain

$75 4.6%

Tobago

$67 5.5% 10.5% $7.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Port of Spain and $406 in Tobago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port of Spain pays 4% 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 $42.00 in Tobago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $310 per month, with Tobago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Port of Spain

🇹🇹 Tobago

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

Same time as Port of Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,074 Capital

54,000

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Port of Spain Tobago 110 km

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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 Tobago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tobago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $406 in Tobago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $394 in Port of Spain versus $72.4 in Tobago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tobago – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $88.0 in Port of Spain. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,214 in Tobago versus $1,632 in Port of Spain, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tobago but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. The gap between the two cities makes Tobago 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.

Safety-wise, Port of Spain and Tobago 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 Tobago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.