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: $1,115 in Tobago versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,875 in Tobago versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,634 in Tobago versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tobago costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tobago 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 TTD 60.2

$4.70 ฿153

91.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 TTD 439

$45.37 ฿1,482

44.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 TTD 48.47

$8.43 ฿275

-14.23%

Cappuccino

$3.63 TTD 24.32

$2.93 ฿95.6

23.89%

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

$0.92 TTD 6.13

$0.69 ฿22.40

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 TTD 5.42

$0.37 ฿11.99

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 TTD 24.58

$2.41 ฿78.6

52.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TTD 19.30

$3.72 ฿122

-22.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 TTD 15.15

$2.23 ฿72.9

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 TTD 15.42

$1.83 ฿59.8

25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 TTD 19.46

$2.17 ฿70.8

33.64%

Eggs

$4.48 TTD 30.01

$2.21 ฿72.3

102.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 TTD 48.75

$19.74 ฿645

-63.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 TTD 49.25

$3.63 ฿119

102.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TTD 49.98

$13.53 ฿442

-44.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.97 TTD 46.69

$3.28 ฿107

112.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 TTD 15.83

$1.61 ฿52.6

46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 TTD 19.58

$2.41 ฿78.6

21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 TTD 19.41

$2.08 ฿68.1

39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 TTD 8.11

$1.53 ฿49.93

-20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 TTD 8.04

$1.48 ฿48.36

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 TTD 10.67

$0.99 ฿32.29

60.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 TTD 8.76

$0.51 ฿16.67

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.83 TTD 32.35

$4.41 ฿144

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.73 TTD 146

$19.38 ฿633

12.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 TTD 22.91

$1.78 ฿58.1

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 TTD 22.59

$2.71 ฿88.6

24.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 TTD 5.15

$1.37 ฿44.79

-43.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 TTD 5.06

$3.02 ฿98.6

-74.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 TTD 5.18

$0.99 ฿32.48

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.24 TTD 102

$14.10 ฿461

8.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 TTD 6.94

$1.36 ฿44.51

-23.53%

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

$26.7K TTD 178.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-5.38%

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

$40.4K TTD 271.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

22.93%

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

$122 ฿3,975

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

$13.57 ฿443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 TTD 404

$18.31 ฿598

229.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 TTD 366

$60.2 ฿1,967

-9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 TTD 101

$17.14 ฿560

-12.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 TTD 49.79

$8.69 ฿284

-14.50%

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

$96.9 TTD 649

$693 ฿22.6K

-86.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 TTD 346

$59.5 ฿1,944

-13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 TTD 310

$34.77 ฿1,136

32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 TTD 1,029

$115 ฿3,743

33.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 TTD 469

$83.3 ฿2,720

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 TTD 2,767

$613 ฿20.0K

-32.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 TTD 2,283

$437 ฿14.3K

-22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 TTD 5,394

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 TTD 4,420

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 TTD 4,908

$508 ฿16.6K

44.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

31.33%

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

Last update for Tobago: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $413 in Tobago and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tobago pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Tobago vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 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

Tobago vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tobago is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tobago pays 44% 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: $413 in Tobago versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $96.9 in Tobago versus $693 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 $66.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,115 in Tobago versus $1,265 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.