Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $319 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $55,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in St John

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $319 in St John, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
St John $319

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $924 in St John, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
St John $924

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $1,529 in St John, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
St John $1,529

New York, NY costs about 1438% more than St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New York, NY sits 263% above the global median, while St John is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.79 $19.79

36.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$175 $175

-33.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.97 $6.97

-6.17%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.03 $3.03

27.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.04 $2.04

44.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$8.13 $8.13

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.04 $8.04

22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.55 $1.55

-27.10%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

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

$25.8K $25.8K

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

$232 $232

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

$71.0 $71.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

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

$3,606 $3,606

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$13.4K $13.4K

411.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$12.9K $12.9K

41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$5,165 $5,165

-1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

7.05

-2.27%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for St John: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

St John

–

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

St John

–

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $175 in St John. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY St John 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
St John

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

New York, NY vs St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 1438% more than St John, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $479 in St John. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $319 in St John. That makes St John about 93% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $175 in St John. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $319, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in St John to $4,906 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.