Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the British Virgin Islands and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,701 a month against $2,907 in the British Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in the British Virgin Islands
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British Virgin Islands Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,907

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the British Virgin Islands and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the British Virgin Islands and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,907 per month in the British Virgin Islands vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

British Virgin Islands $2,907
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $4,885 per month in the British Virgin Islands vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

British Virgin Islands $4,885
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $6,863 per month in the British Virgin Islands vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

British Virgin Islands $6,863
United States $5,258

The cost of living in the British Virgin Islands is about 8% higher than in the United States on average.

Both the British Virgin Islands and the United States are pricier than the global median – the British Virgin Islands by 115%, the United States by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$19.92 $19.92

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$81.0 $81.0

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$12.07 $12.07

-5.72%

Cappuccino

$7.02 $7.02

$5.55 $5.55

26.49%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$2.67 $2.67

-31.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.09 $2.09

-51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.96 $5.96

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 $5.01

$7.76 $7.76

-35.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.05 $1.05

105.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.55 $3.55

30.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.64 $4.64

-8.62%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$4.18 $4.18

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$12.76 $12.76

0.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$12.63 $12.63

3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.23 $20.23

$17.22 $17.22

17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$5.15 $5.15

-41.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.64 $1.64

114.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.46 $4.46

-53.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.98 $4.98

43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.84 $2.84

103.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.09 $3.09

51.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.91 $8.91

$2.19 $2.19

306.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.27 $2.27

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 $5.35

$10.61 $10.61

-49.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 $11.22

$14.71 $14.71

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.10 $2.10

88.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.35 $2.35

93.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.07 $1.07

20.56%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

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

$25.9K $25.9K

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

$164 $164

$217 $217

-24.26%

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

$91.0 $91.0

$61.4 $61.4

48.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$114 $114

$74.4 $74.4

53.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$45.08 $45.08

170.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 $20.07

$23.07 $23.07

-13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 $10.06

$14.79 $14.79

-31.98%

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

$377 $377

$1,480 $1,480

-74.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

-39.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.08 $48.08

$53.0 $53.0

-9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$42.75 $42.75

29.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$94.3 $94.3

36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$115 $115

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,678 $1,678

-20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 $1,414

$1,313 $1,313

7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,839 $3,839

$2,649 $2,649

44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,529 $3,529

$2,183 $2,183

61.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,661 $2,661

299.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,662 $1,662

$4,404 $4,404

-62.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the British Virgin Islands: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

British Virgin Islands

$1.4K 48.7%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 7.2% $101

Groceries & Markets

British Virgin Islands

$480 * 16.5%

United States

$411 15.2% 14.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

British Virgin Islands

$369 12.7%

United States

$352 13% 4.6% $17

Eating Out

British Virgin Islands

$314 10.8%

United States

$327 12.1% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

British Virgin Islands

$168 5.8%

United States

$137 5.1% 18.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

British Virgin Islands

$142 4.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 47.5% $68

Getting Around

British Virgin Islands

$18 * 0.6%

United States

$86 3.2% 374% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,367 in the British Virgin Islands vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,690 in Road Town and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,653 in the British Virgin Islands vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 39% more in the United States.

Salaries are 174% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

Same time as the British Virgin Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,369

340,110,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

British Virgin Islands United States 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

British Virgin Islands
United States

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

British Virgin Islands vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 8% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, the British Virgin Islands costs about 8% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in the British Virgin Islands. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$4,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the United States, but in the British Virgin Islands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.