Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in St Thomas: $4,375 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New York, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
210

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $4,375 in St Thomas, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
St Thomas $4,375

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $7,200 in St Thomas, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
St Thomas $7,200

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $10.0K in St Thomas, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
St Thomas $10.0K

New York, NY costs about 12% more than St Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and St Thomas sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, St Thomas by 224%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$22.37 $22.37

20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$167 $167

-30.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$13.67 $13.67

6.80%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.86 $5.86

11.60%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$4.11 $4.11

-6.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.40 $3.40

-13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.94 $4.94

63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.95 $6.95

41.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.83 $2.83

-53.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.51 $6.51

-23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$18.92 $18.92

-59.30%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$8.96 $8.96

-32.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.53 $11.53

69.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$28.41 $28.41

-38.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$39.70 $39.70

-48.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$12.31 $12.31

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$10.80 $10.80

-79.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$12.27 $12.27

-45.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$20.18 $20.18

-64.72%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.96 $1.96

135.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$8.78 $8.78

-45.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$7.91 $7.91

-63.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$5.66 $5.66

-52.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$24.58 $24.58

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.07 $6.07

-30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.02 $2.02

49.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.7 $60.7

129.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$19.70 $19.70

-84.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.13 $3.13

-29.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 $1.40

-19.29%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$54.1K $54.1K

-36.27%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$48.3K $48.3K

-46.52%

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

$232 $232

$451 $451

-48.47%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$101 $101

-29.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$153 $153

-55.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$166 $166

-30.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$10.09 $10.09

122.10%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,502 $1,502

140.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$22.4K $22.4K

206.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$115 $115

-30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$149 $149

-65.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$199 $199

-39.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$148 $148

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,604 $1,604

184.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,786 $1,786

70.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,297 $3,297

195.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$4,222 $4,222

26.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,832 $4,832

277.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$10.6K $10.6K

-36.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$2,723 $2,723

87.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

9.45

-27.09%

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 Thomas: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

St Thomas

$1.8K 40.8% 41.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

St Thomas

$961 * 22% 69.4% $394

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

St Thomas

$359 8.2% 15.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

St Thomas

$704 16.1% 89.8% $333

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

St Thomas

$275 6.3% 55.6% $98

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

St Thomas

$104 2.4% 37.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

St Thomas

$186 4.3% 16.1% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,604 in St Thomas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in New York, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $167 in St Thomas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $961 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY St Thomas 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

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

New York, NY costs about 12% more than St Thomas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $6,562 in St Thomas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Thomas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $1,502 in St Thomas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 41% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward St Thomas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with St Thomas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.