Arima at a glance
- Arima ranks 2nd of 3 priced cities in Trinidad and Tobago on cost: $989 a month in essentials, 5% above San Fernando, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,204 covers that 1.2×.
- 100.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at regional corporation level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Trinidad and Tobago cities we track, so every row says whether Arima is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $989 | $989 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $368 | $379 | $11 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $516 | $516 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $168 | $176 | $8 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $265 | $243 | $22 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $147 | $147 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $41 | $41 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,204 | $1,032 | $172 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $884 | $752 | $132 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,032 | $948 | $84 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Arima, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.32 | $10.32 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $73.68 | $58.95 | $14.73 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.84 | $8.11 | $0.73 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.72 | $3.72 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.84 | $1.84 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.95 | $2.58 | $0.37 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.02 | $1.02 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.74 | $0.74 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.41 | $2.41 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.43 | $2.28 | $0.15 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.85 | $2.85 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.35 | $3.83 | $0.52 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.63 | $6.63 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.50 | $8.11 | $1.61 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.51 | $5.51 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.27 | $2.51 | $0.24 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.89 | $4.89 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.30 | $1.30 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.97 | $0.97 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.93 | $1.18 | 1.27× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.03 | $0.74 | 1.39× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi start | $0.74 | $0.88 | $0.14 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.74 | $0.88 | $0.14 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.14 | $1.14 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $90.88 | $90.88 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $56.37 | $51.09 | $5.28 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $44.21 | $42.15 | $2.06 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $51.58 | $51.58 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.84 | $8.84 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Arima has 100.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (regional corporation level). That is the 3rd-highest of 5 Trinidad and Tobago cities we track. Trinidad and Tobago's national figure is 103.2, so Arima runs 3 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Arima ranks against every city we track
Arima sits ahead of 64% of the 1069 cities we track on clean air. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 63% of 974. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 15% of 1022.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Arima sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Arima on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Arima beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Arima in the research deskOr unlock the Trinidad and Tobago deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Grueslayer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated