Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and St Thomas Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and St Thomas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $10.9K in Monaco versus $4,331 in St Thomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $12.4K in Monaco versus $7,282 in St Thomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $13.9K in Monaco versus $10.2K in St Thomas.

Living in Monaco is roughly 153% more expensive than in St Thomas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monaco 697% above, St Thomas 215% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 €17.50

$22.14 $22.14

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 €150

$169 $169

2.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 €11.10

$13.32 $13.32

-3.08%

Cappuccino

$3.94 €3.39

$5.76 $5.76

-31.60%

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

$6.44 €5.54

$4.06 $4.06

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.11

$3.41 $3.41

40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 €9.15

$4.98 $4.98

113.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.15 €7.87

$7.04 $7.04

29.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.86 $2.86

-34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 €2.89

$6.67 $6.67

-49.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 €3.73

$19.07 $19.07

-77.24%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.30

$9.05 $9.05

-44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.32

$11.45 $11.45

25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.48 €15.03

$29.09 $29.09

-39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 €16.03

$40.23 $40.23

-53.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$12.09 $12.09

-73.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$11.14 $11.14

-73.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.43

$12.28 $12.28

-76.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.13

$19.90 $19.90

-81.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.92 $1.92

31.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$8.92 $8.92

-67.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.68

$7.94 $7.94

-75.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$7.95 €6.83

$5.41 $5.41

46.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 €12.34

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.85

$25.22 $25.22

-68.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$5.86 $5.86

-20.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.97 $1.97

14.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.67 €21.21

$60.4 $60.4

-59.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 $19.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 €1.39

$3.20 $3.20

-49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$94.6 €81.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.43 $1.43

60.14%

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

$51.0K €43.8K

$55.4K $55.4K

-7.97%

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

$41.2K €35.5K

$49.5K $49.5K

-16.61%

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

$438 €376

$456 $456

-3.90%

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

$42.52 €36.55

$98.8 $98.8

-56.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 €57.8

$150 $150

-55.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 €206

$162 $162

47.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 €47.86

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.13

$9.98 $9.98

41.38%

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

$2,234 €1,920

$1,529 $1,529

46.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$45.6K €39.2K

$22.1K $22.1K

106.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$158 €136

$115 $115

37.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.0 €73.9

$148 $148

-41.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 €148

$204 $204

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$768 €661

$150 $150

411.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,435 €8,111

$1,583 $1,583

496.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,667 €7,451

$1,818 $1,818

376.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$3,294 $3,294

419.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,551 €7,352

$4,291 $4,291

99.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$75.9K €65.2K

$4,868 $4,868

1458.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$57.7K €49.6K

$10.7K $10.7K

438.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,142 €7,859

$2,729 $2,729

234.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

9.45

-65.61%

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

Last update for Monaco: August 31, 2026

Last update for St Thomas: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $9,435 in Monaco and $1,583 in St Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaco pays 235% 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: $174 in Monaco vs $169 in St Thomas. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $967, with Monaco cheaper for home cooking.

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

Monaco vs St Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monaco and St Thomas differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($10.9K vs $4,331 including rent). St Thomas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 235% higher in Monaco, 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: $9,435 in Monaco versus $1,583 in St Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St Thomas – a meal for two runs $169 versus $174 in Monaco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $10.9K per month in Monaco versus $4,331 in St Thomas – a 153% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $5,000. St Thomas 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, Monaco 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 St Thomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Monaco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.