Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas and Seattle, WA

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.

213

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,408

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St Thomas and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in St Thomas is roughly 16% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.30 $22.30

$25.32 $25.32

-11.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$170 $170

$101 $101

67.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 $13.55

$14.85 $14.85

-8.75%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$6.59 $6.59

-10.47%

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

$3.95 $3.95

$3.22 $3.22

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.14 $3.14

7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$8.18 $8.18

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$8.03 $8.03

-15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.21 $1.21

138.02%

White Bread (500g)

$6.67 $6.67

$5.12 $5.12

30.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$6.30 $6.30

194.29%

Eggs

$8.87 $8.87

$4.90 $4.90

81.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$19.10 $19.10

-41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.44 $28.44

$18.50 $18.50

53.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.72 $39.72

$23.03 $23.03

72.47%

Apples (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$5.81 $5.81

104.99%

Banana (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$1.95 $1.95

458.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$5.29 $5.29

132.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$19.99 $19.99

$6.48 $6.48

208.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.57 $3.57

-45.38%

Onion (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$3.15 $3.15

178.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.85 $2.85

187.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.42 $2.42

122.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

Wine (Bottle)

$24.57 $24.57

$14.99 $14.99

63.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.99 $5.99

3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.04 $3.04

-34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$110 $110

-44.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$2.55 $2.55

669.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.64 $1.64

87.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.42 $1.42

-2.11%

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

$55.2K $55.2K

$35.7K $35.7K

54.36%

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

$49.0K $49.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

91.65%

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

$451 $451

$299 $299

50.75%

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

$100 $100

$70.8 $70.8

41.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$151 $151

$88.3 $88.3

71.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 $164

$79.5 $79.5

106.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 $10.04

$17.12 $17.12

-41.36%

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

$1,487 $1,487

$3,013 $3,013

-50.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$31.6K $31.6K

-30.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 $113

$77.2 $77.2

46.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 $148

$55.1 $55.1

167.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$202 $202

$126 $126

61.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$163 $163

-6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$2,464 $2,464

-35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$1,956 $1,956

-6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$4,711 $4,711

-32.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,229 $4,229

$3,550 $3,550

19.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 $4,896

$7,346 $7,346

-33.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$5,048 $5,048

115.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 $2,726

$6,286 $6,286

-56.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

6.85

37.96%

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

Last update for St Thomas: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 7.1% $129

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$956 * 21.7%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 43.4% $415

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$702 15.9%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 34.8% $244

Eating Out

St Thomas

$358 8.1%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 14% $50

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$276 6.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 31.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$184 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 38.2% $70

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 28.4% $29

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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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: $170 in St Thomas vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $956 vs $542 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

3 h behind St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

St Thomas
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 131% lower in Seattle, WA. 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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 $4,408 per month in St Thomas versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – 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.