Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in St Thomas: $4,405 a month against $6,072 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index
294

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

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St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,405

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St Thomas and in Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,405 in St Thomas versus $6,072 in Saint John Island.

St Thomas $4,405
Saint John Island $6,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,271 in St Thomas versus $8,298 in Saint John Island.

St Thomas $7,271
Saint John Island $8,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.1K in St Thomas versus $10.5K in Saint John Island.

St Thomas $10.1K
Saint John Island $10.5K

Living in St Thomas costs roughly 27% less than in Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St Thomas 224% above, Saint John Island 346% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.53 $22.53

$68.8 $68.8

-67.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$169 $169

$148 $148

14.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.39 $13.39

$14.73 $14.73

-9.10%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$8.88 $8.88

-32.43%

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

$3.88 $3.88

$3.43 $3.43

13.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.57 $3.57

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.13 $5.13

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.90 $6.90

1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.09 $3.09

-10.36%

White Bread (500g)

$6.70 $6.70

$7.89 $7.89

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$12.03 $12.03

54.28%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$12.16 $12.16

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$31.60 $31.60

-63.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.17 $29.17

$32.57 $32.57

-10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.88 $39.88

$23.59 $23.59

69.05%

Apples (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$21.89 $21.89

-44.54%

Banana (1kg)

$10.95 $10.95

$4.07 $4.07

169.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$17.71 $17.71

-32.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$19.65 $19.65

$12.22 $12.22

60.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$7.87 $7.87

-74.97%

Onion (1kg)

$8.71 $8.71

$7.80 $7.80

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.22 $8.22

$5.07 $5.07

62.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.54 $3.54

52.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

Wine (Bottle)

$25.08 $25.08

$23.35 $23.35

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.87 $5.87

1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$6.90 $6.90

-71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$148 $148

-58.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 $19.99

$30.28 $30.28

-33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 $3.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.64 $49.64

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.55 $1.55

-7.10%

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

$54.0K $54.0K

$46.6K $46.6K

15.83%

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

$48.2K $48.2K

$53.9K $53.9K

-10.52%

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

$462 $462

$304 $304

52.03%

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

$98.9 $98.9

$101 $101

-2.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$147 $147

$103 $103

43.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$163 $163

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 $10.18

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

$1,471 $1,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K $22.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 $116

$79.2 $79.2

46.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 $147

$49.86 $49.86

195.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$204 $204

$86.0 $86.0

136.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$102 $102

45.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$3,997 $3,997

-60.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$3,465 $3,465

-47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,239 $3,239

$5,068 $5,068

-36.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,321 $4,321

$4,501 $4,501

-4.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,840 $4,840

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,724 $2,724

$4,513 $4,513

-39.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

35.00%

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

Last update for St Thomas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.2%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.1% 91.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$960 * 21.8%

Saint John Island

$983 16.2% 2.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$708 16.1%

Saint John Island

$508 8.4% 28.3% $201

Eating Out

St Thomas

$361 8.2%

Saint John Island

$768 12.7% 113% $408

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$276 6.3%

Saint John Island

$143 2.4% 48.4% $134

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$183 4.2%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

Saint John Island

$206 * 3.4% 97.6% $102

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 $1,589 in St Thomas and $3,997 in Saint John Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $169 in St Thomas vs $148 in Saint John Island. Groceries flip the comparison at $960 vs $983, with St Thomas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

4,170

💱 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

St Thomas Saint John Island 19 km

From you

St Thomas
Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St Thomas wins on cost – living expenses run 27% 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.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in St Thomas. 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: $1,589 in St Thomas versus $3,997 in Saint John Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,405 per month in St Thomas versus $6,072 in Saint John Island – St Thomas is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in St Thomas runs roughly 59% less than in Saint John Island. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $4,405 in St Thomas versus $6,072 in Saint John Island, a $5,000 budget is realistic in St Thomas but tight or insufficient in Saint John Island. The gap between the two cities makes St Thomas 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.

It comes down to priorities – St Thomas wins on affordability, Saint John Island on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.