Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and St. Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Thomas: $2,432 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in St. Thomas
Learn more

St. Thomas Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

St. Thomas

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in St. Thomas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,432 in St. Thomas.

Austin, TX $2,663
St. Thomas $2,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,274 in St. Thomas.

Austin, TX $4,133
St. Thomas $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,117 in St. Thomas.

Austin, TX $5,603
St. Thomas $4,117

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in St. Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, St. Thomas 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$21.05 CA$29.92

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$62.6 CA$89.0

35.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.38 CA$16.18

8.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.32 CA$4.71

69.58%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.19 CA$3.12

69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.59 CA$2.25

57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.02 CA$7.14

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.89 CA$8.37

52.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.08 CA$2.96

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.61 CA$3.70

43.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.73 CA$5.30

-12.60%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.09 CA$4.39

34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.94 CA$14.13

29.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.43 CA$21.92

-8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.20 CA$27.29

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.86 CA$5.49

12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.24 CA$1.76

17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.49 CA$4.97

29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.97 CA$5.64

9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.36 CA$4.78

-23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.07 CA$4.36

-23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.85 CA$4.06

-37.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.46 CA$2.07

52.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.98 CA$15.61

-10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.74 CA$18.10

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.40 CA$3.41

21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.78 CA$3.95

24.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.25 CA$3.20

-33.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$58.7 CA$83.4

-28.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.30 CA$3.27

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.62 CA$2.30

2.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$21.70 CA$30.85

62.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.13 CA$1.60

-15.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.0K CA$39.8K

28.60%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.7K CA$28.0K

37.36%

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

$229 $229

$123 CA$175

85.60%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$42.76 CA$60.8

38.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.5 CA$78.8

26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$44.43 CA$63.1

28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.32 CA$28.87

-19.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.33 CA$14.69

38.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$399 CA$567

277.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.7K CA$23.7K

28.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.5 CA$76.1

-1.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.84 CA$50.9

22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.2 CA$117

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$90.6 CA$129

13.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,148 CA$1,631

66.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,267 CA$1,801

0.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,794 CA$2,550

104.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,470 CA$2,089

72.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,187 CA$5,951

81.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,561 CA$5,061

-11.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,970 CA$4,221

72.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.99

36.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

St. Thomas

$1.3K 52.1% 0.5% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

St. Thomas

$387 15.9% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

St. Thomas

$222 9.1% 38.1% $137

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

St. Thomas

$294 12.1% 16.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

St. Thomas

$118 4.9% 7.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

St. Thomas

$65 2.7% 24.1% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

St. Thomas

$78 3.2% 33% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,148 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 72% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $63.0 in St. Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $387 per month, with St. Thomas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 St. Thomas

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

22:20 10:20 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,909

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX St. Thomas 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
St. Thomas

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

Austin, TX vs St. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making St. Thomas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,148 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,432 in St. Thomas – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in St. Thomas runs roughly 41% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,432 in St. Thomas versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Thomas but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes St. Thomas 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.

Expats usually find St. Thomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.