Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Portmore versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Portmore versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Portmore costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portmore 17% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 JMD 759

$4.63 ฿151

4.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 JMD 9,912

$46.84 ฿1,523

34.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 JMD 1,384

$8.84 ฿287

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.23 JMD 667

$3.00 ฿97.4

41.00%

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

$0.69 JMD 108

$0.74 ฿24.11

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 JMD 79.1

$0.37 ฿11.88

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 JMD 292

$2.44 ฿79.3

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 JMD 351

$3.61 ฿117

-38.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 JMD 481

$2.26 ฿73.5

34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 JMD 572

$1.84 ฿59.8

97.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 JMD 156

$2.24 ฿73.0

-55.80%

Eggs

$3.53 JMD 556

$2.32 ฿75.3

52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 JMD 1,761

$19.67 ฿639

-43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,014

$3.65 ฿119

76.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 JMD 1,182

$13.10 ฿426

-42.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 943

$3.39 ฿110

76.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 489

$1.64 ฿53.4

89.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 465

$2.41 ฿78.5

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 482

$2.03 ฿66.0

50.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 316

$1.56 ฿50.6

28.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$1.50 ฿48.66

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 250

$1.02 ฿33.30

55.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 JMD 201

$0.49 ฿15.91

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 JMD 1,372

$4.45 ฿145

95.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 JMD 1,809

$18.88 ฿614

-39.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 448

$1.78 ฿57.7

59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 355

$2.75 ฿89.5

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 JMD 253

$1.40 ฿45.54

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 JMD 9,911

$11.48 ฿373

448.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 JMD 144

$3.12 ฿101

-70.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 511

$1.00 ฿32.48

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 JMD 991

$14.09 ฿458

-55.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 JMD 171

$1.35 ฿43.93

-20.00%

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

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

57.15%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

2.60%

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

$156 JMD 24.5K

$125 ฿4,063

24.60%

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

$22.40 JMD 3,527

$13.57 ฿441

65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,151

$18.52 ฿602

179.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 JMD 2,074

$9.19 ฿299

43.31%

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

$224 JMD 35.3K

$698 ฿22.7K

-67.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,479 JMD 390.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-84.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.93 JMD 4,084

$57.8 ฿1,878

-55.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.32 JMD 3,988

$35.24 ฿1,146

-28.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 JMD 11.0K

$113 ฿3,677

-38.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 JMD 49.5K

$616 ฿20.0K

-48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 JMD 33.9K

$446 ฿14.5K

-51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 JMD 101.7K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 JMD 94.1K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,724 JMD 1.2M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

104.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,745 JMD 904.8K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

116.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,267 JMD 199.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

141.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Portmore: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $314 in Portmore and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Portmore vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $292 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

Portmore vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Portmore pays 142% 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: $314 in Portmore versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Portmore versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,112 in Portmore versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portmore is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.