Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Cruz Bay: $2,889 a month against $6,147 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $39,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,889

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cruz Bay and in Saint John Island

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cruz Bay and in Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Cruz Bay versus $6,147 in Saint John Island.

Cruz Bay $2,889
Saint John Island $6,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,680 in Cruz Bay versus $8,398 in Saint John Island.

Cruz Bay $4,680
Saint John Island $8,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Cruz Bay versus $10.6K in Saint John Island.

Cruz Bay $6,471
Saint John Island $10.6K

Living in Cruz Bay costs roughly 53% less than in Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 113% above, Saint John Island 354% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 $30.27

$70.5 $70.5

-57.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 $91.8

$147 $147

-37.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.12 $17.12

$14.70 $14.70

16.46%

Cappuccino

$8.84 $8.84

$9.12 $9.12

-3.07%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.57 $3.57

-18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.44 $3.44

15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.86 $4.86

68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.95 $8.95

$6.81 $6.81

31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.12 $3.12

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$8.12 $8.12

Rice (white) (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$11.83 $11.83

-57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.38 $31.38

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$32.45 $32.45

-52.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.40 $24.40

Apples (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$22.40 $22.40

-60.36%

Banana (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

Oranges (1kg)

$17.72 $17.72

Tomato (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

Potato (1kg)

$7.90 $7.90

Onion (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.13 $5.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.88 $8.88

Wine (Bottle)

$24.92 $24.92

$23.37 $23.37

6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.10 $7.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 $150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.78 $49.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 $1.63

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

$47.1K $47.1K

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

$52.8K $52.8K

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

$354 $354

$302 $302

16.98%

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

$140 $140

$99.7 $99.7

40.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$101 $101

-40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 $89.3

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K $13.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 $81.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.95 $49.95

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 $83.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$3,920 $3,920

-53.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$3,521 $3,521

-57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,491 $3,491

$4,982 $4,982

-29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$4,584 $4,584

-23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,318 $6,318

$4,557 $4,557

38.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-28.57%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$989 16.1%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$784 12.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$503 8.2%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$209 * 3.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

$142 2.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

Saint John Island

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,820 in Cruz Bay and $3,920 in Saint John Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Cruz Bay vs $147 in Saint John Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $989 per month, with Cruz Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

4,170

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cruz Bay Saint John Island 6 km

From you

Cruz Bay
Saint John Island

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

Cruz Bay vs Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cruz Bay and Saint John Island differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,889 vs $6,147 including rent). Cruz Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Cruz Bay, 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: $1,820 in Cruz Bay versus $3,920 in Saint John Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cruz Bay – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $147 in Saint John Island. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,889 per month in Cruz Bay versus $6,147 in Saint John Island – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Cruz Bay is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Cruz Bay and Saint John Island 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 Cruz Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.