Cost of Living Comparison Between Tobago and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tobago and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,193 in Tobago versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Tobago versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,484 in Tobago versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Tobago costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tobago 13% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.17 TTD 67.7

$4.56 ฿150

123.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.46 TTD 283

$32.62 ฿1,073

30.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 TTD 63.7

$8.90 ฿293

7.64%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.45

$2.80 ฿92.2

31.07%

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

$1.63 TTD 10.88

$0.88 ฿28.94

85.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 TTD 10.88

$0.49 ฿16.08

232.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 TTD 25.12

$2.39 ฿78.5

57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 TTD 29.19

$3.71 ฿122

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 TTD 16.66

$1.79 ฿58.8

39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 TTD 16.55

$1.44 ฿47.40

72.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 TTD 15.29

$1.58 ฿52.1

45.57%

Eggs

$4.85 TTD 32.30

$2.13 ฿69.9

127.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.20 TTD 41.26

$19.92 ฿655

-68.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 TTD 47.95

$3.43 ฿113

110.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 TTD 39.34

$11.33 ฿372

-47.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 TTD 26.66

$2.95 ฿97.0

35.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 TTD 16.36

$1.72 ฿56.6

43.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 TTD 14.99

$2.32 ฿76.5

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 TTD 15.03

$2.08 ฿68.4

8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 TTD 6.56

$1.47 ฿48.34

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 TTD 11.00

$1.36 ฿44.65

21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 TTD 12.05

$1.10 ฿36.13

64.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 TTD 9.89

$0.57 ฿18.89

161.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 TTD 29.63

$4.27 ฿140

4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.66 TTD 144

$18.42 ฿606

17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 TTD 25.06

$1.87 ฿61.5

101.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 TTD 29.31

$2.92 ฿96.1

50.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 TTD 5.03

$2.22 ฿73.0

-65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 TTD 5.14

$3.03 ฿99.6

-74.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 TTD 60.4

$3.93 ฿129

130.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 TTD 6.91

$1.49 ฿49.06

-30.20%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

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

$59.9 TTD 399

$103 ฿3,380

-41.69%

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

$26.98 TTD 180

$10.99 ฿361

145.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 TTD 493

$17.51 ฿576

322.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 TTD 341

$53.5 ฿1,760

-4.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 TTD 52.5

$7.48 ฿246

5.48%

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

$74.5 TTD 495

$557 ฿18.3K

-86.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.59 TTD 290

$64.1 ฿2,107

-31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.02 TTD 320

$29.07 ฿956

65.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 TTD 913

$96.0 ฿3,155

42.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 TTD 599

$90.3 ฿2,970

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 TTD 2,656

$730 ฿24.0K

-45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 TTD 2,191

$500 ฿16.4K

-34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 TTD 3,662

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 TTD 3,390

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-57.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$746 TTD 4,963

$503 ฿16.6K

48.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Tobago: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Tobago and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tobago pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Tobago vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $273 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

Tobago vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tobago is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Tobago, 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: $399 in Tobago versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $74.5 in Tobago versus $557 in Phuket. 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 $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,193 in Tobago versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tobago but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tobago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tobago 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, Tobago 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 Tobago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.