Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,408 in St Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

213

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
Learn more

St Thomas Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,408

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St Thomas and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,408 in St Thomas versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

St Thomas $4,408
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,220 in St Thomas versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

St Thomas $7,220
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.0K in St Thomas versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

St Thomas $10.0K
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in St Thomas is roughly 66% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St Thomas 227% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.30 $22.30

$20.77 $20.77

7.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$170 $170

$84.6 $84.6

101.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 $13.55

$12.32 $12.32

9.98%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$5.63 $5.63

4.80%

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

$3.95 $3.95

$3.72 $3.72

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.50 $2.50

35.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$8.05 $8.05

-36.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.01 $9.01

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.12 $1.12

157.14%

White Bread (500g)

$6.67 $6.67

$3.75 $3.75

77.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$3.26 $3.26

468.71%

Eggs

$8.87 $8.87

$4.17 $4.17

112.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$12.90 $12.90

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.44 $28.44

$14.16 $14.16

100.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.72 $39.72

$16.22 $16.22

144.88%

Apples (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$4.33 $4.33

175.06%

Banana (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$1.46 $1.46

645.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$4.51 $4.51

172.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$19.99 $19.99

$4.34 $4.34

360.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.58 $2.58

-24.42%

Onion (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$2.35 $2.35

272.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.18 $8.18

$1.78 $1.78

359.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.22 $2.22

142.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$24.57 $24.57

$15.08 $15.08

62.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.46 $3.46

78.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.49 $1.49

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$41.72 $41.72

45.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$2.73 $2.73

618.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.66 $1.66

85.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.95 $0.95

46.32%

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

$55.2K $55.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

53.08%

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

$49.0K $49.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

80.94%

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

$451 $451

$229 $229

96.84%

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

$100 $100

$59.4 $59.4

68.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$151 $151

$69.9 $69.9

116.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 $164

$57.2 $57.2

186.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 $10.04

$14.28 $14.28

-29.69%

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

$1,487 $1,487

$1,506 $1,506

-1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

1.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 $113

$52.8 $52.8

113.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 $148

$43.82 $43.82

236.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$202 $202

$84.8 $84.8

138.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$103 $103

47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$1,907 $1,907

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$1,274 $1,274

43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$3,664 $3,664

-13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,229 $4,229

$2,538 $2,538

66.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 $4,896

$7,614 $7,614

-35.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$3,157 $3,157

245.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 $2,726

$5,121 $5,121

-46.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

6.79

39.18%

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

Last update for St Thomas: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 30.3% $553

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$956 * 21.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 57.7% $552

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$702 15.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 49% $344

Eating Out

St Thomas

$358 8.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.3% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$276 6.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 53.7% $148

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$184 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 53.4% $98

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.3% $45

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 $1,586 in St Thomas and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $170 in St Thomas vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $956 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

14:08 2:08 PM

1 h behind St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St Thomas Austin, TX 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

St Thomas
Austin, TX

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

St Thomas vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in St Thomas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,586 in St Thomas versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,408 per month in St Thomas versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 45% less than in St Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.