Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and Cruz Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Cruz Bay: $2,911 a month against $6,072 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $37,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,072

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John Island and in Cruz Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $6,072 in Saint John Island versus $2,911 in Cruz Bay.

Saint John Island $6,072
Cruz Bay $2,911

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,298 in Saint John Island versus $4,707 in Cruz Bay.

Saint John Island $8,298
Cruz Bay $4,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.5K in Saint John Island versus $6,503 in Cruz Bay.

Saint John Island $10.5K
Cruz Bay $6,503

Living in Saint John Island is roughly 109% more expensive than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John Island 346% above, Cruz Bay 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$68.8 $68.8

$30.27 $30.27

127.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 $148

$94.2 $94.2

56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 $14.73

$16.90 $16.90

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$8.88 $8.88

$9.04 $9.04

-1.77%

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

$3.43 $3.43

$2.99 $2.99

14.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.09 $4.09

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$8.11 $8.11

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$9.26 $9.26

-25.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 $3.09

$8.08 $8.08

-61.76%

White Bread (500g)

$7.89 $7.89

Rice (white) (1kg)

$12.03 $12.03

Eggs

$12.16 $12.16

$4.87 $4.87

149.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.60 $31.60

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.57 $32.57

$15.71 $15.71

107.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.59 $23.59

Apples (1kg)

$21.89 $21.89

$9.01 $9.01

142.95%

Banana (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

Oranges (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

Tomato (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

Potato (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

Onion (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.07 $5.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

Wine (Bottle)

$23.35 $23.35

$24.63 $24.63

-5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.90 $6.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 $148

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$30.28 $30.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.64 $49.64

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

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

$46.6K $46.6K

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

$53.9K $53.9K

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

$304 $304

$354 $354

-14.03%

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

$101 $101

$138 $138

-26.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 $103

$59.0 $59.0

74.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.2 $90.2

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.86 $49.86

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 $3,997

$1,778 $1,778

124.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,465 $3,465

$1,509 $1,509

129.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,068 $5,068

$3,525 $3,525

43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,501 $4,501

$3,533 $3,533

27.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,513 $4,513

$6,147 $6,147

-26.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.00%

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

Last update for Saint John Island: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.1%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Saint John Island

$983 16.2%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Saint John Island

$768 12.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John Island

$508 8.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Saint John Island

$206 * 3.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John Island

$143 2.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John Island

- * 0%

Cruz Bay

–

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 $3,997 in Saint John Island and $1,778 in Cruz Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $148 in Saint John Island vs $94 in Cruz Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $983 vs $273 per month, with Cruz Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Saint John Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,170

2,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Saint John Island Cruz Bay 6 km

From you

Saint John Island
Cruz Bay

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

Saint John Island vs Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $6,072 in Saint John Island and $2,911 in Cruz Bay, so Cruz Bay is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Saint John Island. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,997 in Saint John Island versus $1,778 in Cruz Bay. 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 $94 versus $148 in Saint John Island. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $6,072 per month in Saint John Island versus $2,911 in Cruz Bay – Cruz Bay is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Saint John Island and Cruz Bay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.