Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and St Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,408 in St Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
213

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
Learn more

St Thomas Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $4,408 in St Thomas.

Seattle, WA $3,800
St Thomas $4,408

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $7,220 in St Thomas.

Seattle, WA $5,702
St Thomas $7,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $10.0K in St Thomas.

Seattle, WA $7,603
St Thomas $10.0K

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 14% less than in St Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, St Thomas 227% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$22.30 $22.30

13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$170 $170

-40.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.55 $13.55

9.59%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.90 $5.90

11.69%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.95 $3.95

-18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.39 $3.39

-7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.12 $5.12

59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.81 $6.81

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.88 $2.88

-57.99%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$6.67 $6.67

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$18.54 $18.54

-66.02%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$8.87 $8.87

-44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.12 $11.12

71.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$28.44 $28.44

-34.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$39.72 $39.72

-42.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$11.91 $11.91

-51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$10.89 $10.89

-82.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$12.30 $12.30

-56.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$19.99 $19.99

-67.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.95 $1.95

83.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$8.76 $8.76

-64.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$8.18 $8.18

-65.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$5.39 $5.39

-55.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$24.57 $24.57

-38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.18 $6.18

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.98 $1.98

53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$60.7 $60.7

81.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$19.61 $19.61

-87.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.08 $3.08

-46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.39 $1.39

2.16%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$55.2K $55.2K

-35.22%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$49.0K $49.0K

-47.82%

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

$299 $299

$451 $451

-33.66%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$100 $100

-29.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$151 $151

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$164 $164

-51.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$10.04 $10.04

70.52%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,487 $1,487

102.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$21.9K $21.9K

44.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$113 $113

-31.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$148 $148

-62.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$202 $202

-37.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$151 $151

7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,586 $1,586

55.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,827 $1,827

7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,187 $3,187

47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$4,229 $4,229

-16.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,896 $4,896

50.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$10.9K $10.9K

-53.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,726 $2,726

130.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

9.45

-27.51%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for St Thomas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.5% 6.6% $129

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

St Thomas

$956 * 21.7% 76.6% $415

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

St Thomas

$702 15.9% 53.3% $244

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

St Thomas

$358 8.1% 12.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

St Thomas

$276 6.3% 46% $87

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

St Thomas

$104 2.4% 22.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

St Thomas

$184 4.2% 61.9% $70

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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,586 in St Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $170 in St Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $956 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA St Thomas 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs St Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,586 in St Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $170 in St Thomas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,408 in St Thomas – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Seattle, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St Thomas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.