Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Road Town and Tortola

For one person, living is cheaper in Tortola: $2,423 a month against $2,597 in Road Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Road Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Road Town
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Road Town Living Index

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Road Town

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,597

/mo nomad

Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Road Town and in Tortola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Road Town versus $2,423 in Tortola.

Road Town $2,597
Tortola $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,452 in Road Town versus $4,123 in Tortola.

Road Town $4,452
Tortola $4,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,306 in Road Town versus $5,823 in Tortola.

Road Town $6,306
Tortola $5,823

Living in Road Town is roughly 7% more expensive than in Tortola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Road Town 92% above, Tortola 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 $17.41

$21.64 $21.64

-19.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$84.4 $84.4

-6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 $7.94

$14.77 $14.77

-46.24%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$7.82 $7.82

-44.12%

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

$1.69 $1.69

$1.88 $1.88

-10.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 $1.37

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.04 $4.04

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$4.95 $4.95

-64.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.07 $3.07

-28.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.79 $4.79

-3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$6.75 $6.75

-54.96%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$7.29 $7.29

-33.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.02 $2.02

79.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.90 $3.90

-15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.96 $1.96

4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$7.36 $7.36

-12.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.97 $5.97

-17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.92 $4.92

-19.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.37 $6.37

$11.97 $11.97

-46.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.07 $5.07

3.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.14 $11.14

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.53 $4.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

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

$161 $161

$101 $101

58.66%

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

$90.9 $90.9

$101 $101

-9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 $125

$99.1 $99.1

25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 $20.15

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 $10.15

$19.99 $19.99

-49.22%

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

$373 $373

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.31 $47.31

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,406 $1,406

20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$1,233 $1,233

11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,409 $4,409

$3,293 $3,293

33.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,602 $3,602

$3,061 $3,061

17.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,690 $1,690

$1,598 $1,598

5.77%

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

Last update for Road Town: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tortola: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Road Town

$1.4K 53%

Tortola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Road Town

$376 14.5%

Tortola

–

Groceries & Markets

Road Town

$272 * 10.5%

Tortola

–

Eating Out

Road Town

$249 9.6%

Tortola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Road Town

$165 6.4%

Tortola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Road Town

$140 5.4%

Tortola

–

Getting Around

Road Town

$18 * 0.7%

Tortola

–

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 $1,694 in Road Town and $1,406 in Tortola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Road Town pays 6% 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: $79.0 in Road Town vs $84.0 in Tortola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $494 per month, with Road Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Road Town

🇻🇬 Tortola

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

Same time as Road Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,603 Capital

8,449

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Road Town Tortola 2 km

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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

Road Town vs Tortola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tortola is cheaper overall, especially in utilities, clothing, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Road Town, 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: $1,694 in Road Town versus $1,406 in Tortola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Road Town pay roughly 82% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tortola – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $79.0 in Road Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,423 in Tortola versus $2,597 in Road Town, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tortola but tight or insufficient in Road Town. The gap between the two cities makes Tortola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Road Town and Tortola 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 Tortola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Road Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.