Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and St Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in Cruz Bay: $2,889 a month against $4,391 in St Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

212

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
Learn more

St Thomas Living Index

Jump to prices

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,889

/mo nomad

St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cruz Bay 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 Cruz Bay and in St Thomas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Cruz Bay versus $4,391 in St Thomas.

Cruz Bay $2,889
St Thomas $4,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,680 in Cruz Bay versus $7,217 in St Thomas.

Cruz Bay $4,680
St Thomas $7,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Cruz Bay versus $10.0K in St Thomas.

Cruz Bay $6,471
St Thomas $10.0K

Living in Cruz Bay costs roughly 34% less than in St Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 113% above, St Thomas 224% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 $30.27

$22.90 $22.90

32.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 $91.8

$171 $171

-46.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.12 $17.12

$13.62 $13.62

25.70%

Cappuccino

$8.84 $8.84

$5.98 $5.98

47.83%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.95 $3.95

-26.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.39 $3.39

17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$5.07 $5.07

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.95 $8.95

$6.92 $6.92

29.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$7.80 $7.80

$2.77 $2.77

181.59%

White Bread (500g)

$6.67 $6.67

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.43 $18.43

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$8.95 $8.95

-43.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$28.68 $28.68

-45.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.99 $39.99

Apples (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$12.11 $12.11

-26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

Oranges (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

Tomato (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

Onion (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.08 $8.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 $5.40

Wine (Bottle)

$24.92 $24.92

$25.24 $25.24

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 $19.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 $3.18

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

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

$54.6K $54.6K

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

$48.6K $48.6K

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

$354 $354

$463 $463

-23.58%

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

$140 $140

$102 $102

37.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$150 $150

-59.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 $89.3

$162 $162

-44.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 $10.03

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

$1,477 $1,477

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K $13.2K

$22.4K $22.4K

-41.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 $113

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 $147

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 $199

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$1,584 $1,584

14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$1,793 $1,793

-16.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,491 $3,491

$3,222 $3,222

8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$4,208 $4,208

-16.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$4,853 $4,853

124.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,318 $6,318

$2,792 $2,792

126.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

-47.09%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 19, 2026

Last update for St Thomas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$1.8K 40.8%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$958 * 21.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$714 16.3%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$364 8.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$274 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$182 4.2%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

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 $1,584 in St Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 126% 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 $171 in St Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $958 per month, with Cruz Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cruz Bay St Thomas 13 km

From you

Cruz Bay
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

Cruz Bay vs St Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cruz Bay and St Thomas differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,889 vs $4,391 including rent). Cruz Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% 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 $1,584 in St Thomas. 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 $171 in St Thomas. 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 $4,391 in St Thomas – a 52% 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 St Thomas 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 52% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.