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: $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Portmore versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,572 in Portmore versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Portmore costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portmore 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 JMD 754

$4.56 ฿149

5.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,843

$46.63 ฿1,519

34.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,413

$8.47 ฿276

6.14%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 691

$3.03 ฿98.6

44.88%

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

$0.63 JMD 99.8

$0.69 ฿22.45

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 JMD 85.8

$0.37 ฿11.92

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 JMD 303

$2.49 ฿81.0

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 JMD 348

$3.66 ฿119

-39.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 JMD 481

$2.18 ฿71.0

40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 JMD 566

$1.90 ฿62.0

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 JMD 159

$2.20 ฿71.6

-54.09%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 550

$2.22 ฿72.4

57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 JMD 1,748

$19.99 ฿651

-44.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 JMD 984

$3.66 ฿119

71.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,177

$13.25 ฿432

-43.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 JMD 922

$3.23 ฿105

81.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 473

$1.70 ฿55.3

77.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 461

$2.39 ฿78.0

22.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$2.08 ฿67.7

42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 321

$1.59 ฿51.8

28.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.48 ฿48.31

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 250

$1.03 ฿33.54

54.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 JMD 195

$0.52 ฿16.83

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 JMD 1,409

$4.25 ฿138

110.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,814

$18.79 ฿612

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 447

$1.76 ฿57.2

61.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 334

$2.76 ฿89.8

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 JMD 240

$1.36 ฿44.32

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 JMD 9,958

$11.36 ฿370

457.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

$3.14 ฿102

-70.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 502

$1.04 ฿33.74

206.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 993

$13.77 ฿448

-54.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 JMD 171

$1.34 ฿43.79

-19.40%

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

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

53.90%

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-2.29%

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

$155 JMD 24.4K

$124 ฿4,025

25.47%

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

$21.91 JMD 3,446

$13.52 ฿440

62.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 JMD 7,897

$18.69 ฿609

168.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,104

$9.14 ฿298

46.39%

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

$226 JMD 35.5K

$703 ฿22.9K

-67.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-84.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 JMD 4,123

$59.5 ฿1,937

-55.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 JMD 4,090

$35.07 ฿1,142

-25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$115 ฿3,754

-37.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 JMD 49.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

-48.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.3K

$433 ฿14.1K

-49.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 JMD 104.2K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-67.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 JMD 93.9K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-60.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

113.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

124.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

$507 ฿16.5K

155.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $317 in Portmore and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portmore pays 155% 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 $318 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

Portmore vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Portmore pays 155% 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: $317 in Portmore versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Portmore versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $1,261 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.