Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Port of Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in St.James: $917 a month against $1,628 in Port of Spain, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

St.James, Trinidad And Tobago
Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago
St.James
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$917
/mo nomad
Port of Spain
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$1,628
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St.James and in Port of Spain

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $917 in St.James versus $1,628 in Port of Spain.

  • St.James $917
  • Port of Spain $1,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in St.James versus $2,756 in Port of Spain.

  • St.James $1,593
  • Port of Spain $2,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,270 in St.James versus $3,884 in Port of Spain.

  • St.James $2,270
  • Port of Spain $3,884

Living in St.James costs roughly 44% less than in Port of Spain, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: St.James is 33% below, Port of Spain is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.13 TTD 68.0
$10.37 TTD 69.6
-2.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.4 TTD 593
$89.9 TTD 603
-1.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.03 TTD 60.6
$8.91 TTD 59.8
1.35%
Cappuccino
$3.65 TTD 24.49
$3.79 TTD 25.42
-3.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 TTD 6.67
$0.99 TTD 6.64
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 TTD 5.15
$0.77 TTD 5.18
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 TTD 15.06
$2.25 TTD 15.09
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 TTD 24.62
$3.67 TTD 24.61
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.51 TTD 16.85
$2.46 TTD 16.52
2.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.48 TTD 16.67
$2.55 TTD 17.12
-2.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 TTD 18.82
$2.79 TTD 18.75
0.36%
Eggs
$4.43 TTD 29.73
$4.29 TTD 28.79
3.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.57 TTD 44.06
$6.70 TTD 44.98
-1.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 TTD 66.4
$9.93 TTD 66.7
-0.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.79 TTD 79.1
$11.64 TTD 78.1
1.29%
Apples (1kg)
$5.66 TTD 37.97
$5.53 TTD 37.09
2.35%
Banana (1kg)
$2.97 TTD 19.90
$2.96 TTD 19.89
0.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.75 TTD 25.19
$3.72 TTD 24.97
0.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 TTD 28.70
$4.30 TTD 28.83
-0.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 TTD 14.84
$2.11 TTD 14.16
4.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 TTD 12.54
$1.84 TTD 12.32
1.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 TTD 12.84
$1.83 TTD 12.25
4.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 TTD 9.08
$1.39 TTD 9.35
-2.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.73 TTD 38.48
$5.92 TTD 39.74
-3.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.28 TTD 129
$19.25 TTD 129
0.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 TTD 14.82
$2.21 TTD 14.82
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 TTD 20.13
$3.08 TTD 20.69
-2.60%
🚌 Getting Around
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.30 TTD 8.70
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$132 TTD 884
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 TTD 6.78
$1.01 TTD 6.77
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 TTD 8.26
$1.27 TTD 8.53
-3.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.65 TTD 98.3
$14.62 TTD 98.1
0.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 TTD 7.83
$1.17 TTD 7.84
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.2K TTD 249.9K
$36.9K TTD 247.3K
1.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K TTD 273.4K
$41.2K TTD 276.5K
-1.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.2 TTD 605
$92.3 TTD 619
-2.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.9 TTD 341
$51.8 TTD 348
-1.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.0 TTD 376
$55.5 TTD 373
0.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$56.1 TTD 376
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.20 TTD 88.6
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.06 TTD 60.8
$8.69 TTD 58.3
4.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$398 TTD 2,669
$392 TTD 2,628
1.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K TTD 73.1K
$10.7K TTD 71.9K
1.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 TTD 364
$55.3 TTD 371
-1.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3 TTD 344
$52.5 TTD 352
-2.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$148 TTD 996
$146 TTD 978
1.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 TTD 693
$104 TTD 696
-0.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,003 TTD 6,729
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$514 TTD 3,451
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,212 TTD 14.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,198 TTD 8,042
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,566 TTD 30.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,031 TTD 13.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
St.James
Port of Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$756 TTD 5,070
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.75
5.75
-

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

Last update for St.James: October 24, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
St.James
$356
Port of Spain
$355 0.3% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St.James
$197
Port of Spain
$200 1.3% $2.5
Eating Out
St.James
$178
Port of Spain
$181 1.8% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
St.James
$161
Port of Spain
$161 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
St.James
$18 *
Port of Spain
$73 305% $55
Getting Around
St.James
$7.2 *
Port of Spain
$144 1916% $137
Accommodation & Living
St.James
- *
Port of Spain
$514

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $88 in St.James vs $90 in Port of Spain. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $355, with Port of Spain cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇹 St.James
🇹🇹 Port of Spain
🕒 Local time
18:24 6:24 PM
18:24 6:24 PM
Same time as St.James
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,342
37,074 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.71 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • St.James Port of Spain 3 km
From you
  • St.James
  • Port of Spain

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
St.James vs Port of Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is St.James cheaper than Port of Spain?
St.James is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,375 in St.James and $2,442 in Port of Spain to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $398 in St.James versus $392 in Port of Spain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
What are total monthly expenses in St.James and in Port of Spain?
All in, you’ll spend $917 per month in St.James versus $1,628 in Port of Spain – St.James is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in St.James or in Port of Spain?
At $917 in St.James versus $1,628 in Port of Spain, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. The gap between the two cities makes St.James the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

St.James vs other spots: cost of living compared

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