Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and St Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in St Thomas: $4,408 a month against $6,064 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

298

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index
213

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index

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Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,064

/mo nomad

St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John Island 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 Saint John Island and in St Thomas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $6,064 in Saint John Island versus $4,408 in St Thomas.

Saint John Island $6,064
St Thomas $4,408

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,303 in Saint John Island versus $7,220 in St Thomas.

Saint John Island $8,303
St Thomas $7,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.5K in Saint John Island versus $10.0K in St Thomas.

Saint John Island $10.5K
St Thomas $10.0K

Living in Saint John Island is roughly 38% more expensive than in St Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John Island 349% above, St Thomas 227% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$70.9 $70.9

$22.30 $22.30

217.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 $150

$170 $170

-11.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$13.55 $13.55

10.41%

Cappuccino

$8.75 $8.75

$5.90 $5.90

48.31%

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

$3.58 $3.58

$3.95 $3.95

-9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.39 $3.39

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.12 $5.12

-1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$6.81 $6.81

3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.88 $2.88

13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$7.83 $7.83

$6.67 $6.67

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.96 $11.96

$18.54 $18.54

-35.49%

Eggs

$11.88 $11.88

$8.87 $8.87

33.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.87 $31.87

$11.12 $11.12

186.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.02 $33.02

$28.44 $28.44

16.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.45 $24.45

$39.72 $39.72

-38.44%

Apples (1kg)

$21.79 $21.79

$11.91 $11.91

82.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$10.89 $10.89

-63.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$17.72 $17.72

$12.30 $12.30

44.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$19.99 $19.99

-39.27%

Potato (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$1.95 $1.95

291.28%

Onion (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$8.76 $8.76

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.18 $8.18

-40.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.39 $5.39

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

Wine (Bottle)

$22.75 $22.75

$24.57 $24.57

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$6.18 $6.18

-1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.11 $7.11

$1.98 $1.98

259.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$60.7 $60.7

149.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$29.90 $29.90

$19.61 $19.61

52.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.51 $49.51

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

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

$47.3K $47.3K

$55.2K $55.2K

-14.27%

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

$53.6K $53.6K

$49.0K $49.0K

9.38%

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

$305 $305

$451 $451

-32.44%

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

$99.8 $99.8

$100 $100

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 $104

$151 $151

-31.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 $164

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 $10.04

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

$1,487 $1,487

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$113 $113

-28.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.12 $49.12

$148 $148

-66.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$202 $202

-58.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$151 $151

-34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,972 $3,972

$1,586 $1,586

150.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$1,827 $1,827

88.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,920 $4,920

$3,187 $3,187

54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,463 $4,463

$4,229 $4,229

5.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 $4,896

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,516 $4,516

$2,726 $2,726

65.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

-25.93%

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

Last update for Saint John Island: October 12, 2026

Last update for St Thomas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John Island

$3.4K 56.7%

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.5% 46.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Saint John Island

$984 16.2%

St Thomas

$956 * 21.7% 2.8% $28

Eating Out

Saint John Island

$785 12.9%

St Thomas

$358 8.1% 54.3% $426

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John Island

$509 8.4%

St Thomas

$702 15.9% 38.1% $194

Getting Around

Saint John Island

$209 * 3.5%

St Thomas

$104 2.4% 50.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John Island

$141 2.3%

St Thomas

$276 6.3% 95.4% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John Island

- * 0%

St Thomas

$184 4.2%

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 $3,972 in Saint John Island and $1,586 in St Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 66% 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: $150 in Saint John Island vs $170 in St Thomas. Groceries flip the comparison at $984 vs $956, with St Thomas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Saint John Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,170

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint John Island St Thomas 19 km

From you

Saint John Island
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

Saint John Island vs St Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St Thomas wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Saint John Island. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making St Thomas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Saint John Island, 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: $3,972 in Saint John Island versus $1,586 in St Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Saint John Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $6,064 per month in Saint John Island versus $4,408 in St Thomas – a 38% 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, Saint John Island 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 38% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.