Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $320 a month against $4,391 in St Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $48,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index

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St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,391

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,391 in St Thomas versus $320 in St John.

St Thomas $4,391
St John $320

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,217 in St Thomas versus $926 in St John.

St Thomas $7,217
St John $926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.0K in St Thomas versus $1,533 in St John.

St Thomas $10.0K
St John $1,533

Living in St Thomas is roughly 1273% more expensive than in St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: St Thomas is 224% above, St John is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.90 $22.90

$19.79 $19.79

15.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$171 $171

$176 $176

-2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 $13.62

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$7.03 $7.03

-14.94%

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

$3.95 $3.95

$3.07 $3.07

28.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.99 $1.99

70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$8.23 $8.23

-38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$7.88 $7.88

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 $2.77

White Bread (500g)

$6.67 $6.67

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.43 $18.43

Eggs

$8.95 $8.95

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.68 $28.68

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.99 $39.99

Apples (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

Banana (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

Oranges (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

Tomato (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

Onion (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.08 $8.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 $5.40

Wine (Bottle)

$25.24 $25.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 $19.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 $3.18

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.57 $1.57

-9.55%

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

$54.6K $54.6K

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

$48.6K $48.6K

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

$463 $463

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

$102 $102

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 $150

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$162 $162

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 $10.03

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

$1,477 $1,477

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$13.5K $13.5K

65.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 $113

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 $147

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 $199

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,208 $4,208

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,853 $4,853

$12.7K $12.7K

-61.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,792 $2,792

$5,157 $5,157

-45.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

7.05

34.04%

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

Last update for St Thomas: October 18, 2026

Last update for St John: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 40.8%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$958 * 21.8%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$714 16.3%

St John

–

Eating Out

St Thomas

$364 8.3%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$274 6.3%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$182 4.2%

St John

–

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

St John

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

St John pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $171 in St Thomas vs $176 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

Same time as St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

2,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

St Thomas St John 17 km

From you

St Thomas
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St Thomas and St John differ by about 1273% in total monthly costs ($4,391 vs $320 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in St John. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in St John – a meal for two runs $176 versus $171 in St Thomas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,391 per month in St Thomas versus $320 in St John – a 1273% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $320 in St John versus $4,391 in St Thomas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in St Thomas. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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.

Safety-wise, St Thomas and St John 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 John gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1273% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.