Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roseau and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $927 a month against $1,259 in Roseau, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Roseau
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Roseau Living Index

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Roseau

🇩🇲 Dominica

$1,259

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roseau and in Portsmouth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Roseau and in Portsmouth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Roseau versus $927 in Portsmouth.

Roseau $1,259
Portsmouth $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Roseau versus $1,638 in Portsmouth.

Roseau $2,123
Portsmouth $1,638

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Roseau versus $2,350 in Portsmouth.

Roseau $2,988
Portsmouth $2,350

Living in Roseau is roughly 36% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roseau 7% lower, Portsmouth 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 EC$20.11

$5.63 EC$15.20

32.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 EC$152

$55.0 EC$148

2.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 EC$17.89

$6.72 EC$18.15

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$4.19 EC$11.31

$2.61 EC$7.06

60.54%

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

$2.41 EC$6.50

$2.21 EC$5.95

9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 EC$5.86

$1.90 EC$5.13

14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 EC$4.93

$2.57 EC$6.94

-28.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 EC$7.19

$3.62 EC$9.78

-26.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 EC$8.82

$2.85 EC$7.69

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 EC$5.76

$2.27 EC$6.14

-6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 EC$3.29

$2.07 EC$5.58

-41.06%

Eggs

$5.44 EC$14.69

$6.80 EC$18.35

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.54

$2.65 EC$7.16

-8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 EC$29.90

$5.56 EC$15.02

99.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 EC$35.19

Apples (1kg)

$6.58 EC$17.76

$7.45 EC$20.11

-11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 EC$6.58

$2.55 EC$6.88

-4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 EC$12.34

$4.10 EC$11.06

11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 EC$13.68

$4.10 EC$11.08

23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 EC$9.52

$2.89 EC$7.80

21.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 EC$8.21

$2.80 EC$7.55

8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 EC$5.70

$1.88 EC$5.09

12.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 EC$7.34

$1.82 EC$4.91

49.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 EC$20.15

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 EC$29.44

$11.00 EC$29.71

-0.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 EC$7.10

$1.90 EC$5.14

38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 EC$8.08

$2.61 EC$7.04

14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 EC$5.08

$0.78 EC$2.10

141.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 EC$144

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 EC$14.54

$3.73 EC$10.07

44.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 EC$7.90

$3.79 EC$10.24

-22.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 EC$27.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 EC$3.87

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

$35.6K EC$96.0K

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

$29.6K EC$80.0K

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

$143 EC$386

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

$44.39 EC$120

$40.53 EC$109

9.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 EC$190

$64.4 EC$174

9.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 EC$124

$37.08 EC$100

23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 EC$62.4

Cinema Ticket

$8.11 EC$21.89

$11.30 EC$30.51

-28.23%

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

$131 EC$353

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,365 EC$11.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 EC$150

$56.0 EC$151

-0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.72 EC$99.1

$23.74 EC$64.1

54.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 EC$202

$56.3 EC$152

32.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 EC$247

$67.4 EC$182

35.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 EC$778

$258 EC$697

11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 EC$558

$219 EC$592

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 EC$2,381

$662 EC$1,788

33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 EC$1,741

$618 EC$1,669

4.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$123 EC$333

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$55.5 EC$150

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 EC$1,277

$637 EC$1,719

-25.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.6

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

Last update for Roseau: October 18, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Roseau

$372 29.6%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roseau

$258 20.5%

Portsmouth

–

Accommodation & Living

Roseau

$207 16.4%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Roseau

$163 12.9%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Roseau

$116 9.3%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Roseau

$81 6.4%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Roseau

$62 4.9%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Roseau and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Roseau vs $55.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $292 per month, with Portsmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇲 Roseau

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Roseau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000 Capital

3,633

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Roseau Portsmouth 32 km

From you

Roseau
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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

Roseau vs Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Portsmouth. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $288 in Roseau versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $56.0 in Roseau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $927 in Portsmouth versus $1,259 in Roseau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Roseau. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth 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, Roseau and Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Roseau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.