Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,589 a month against $3,890 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
$3,890
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,890 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $2,589 in Australia, rent included.

  • U.S. Virgin Islands $3,890
  • Australia $2,589

A couple spends around $6,693 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $3,789 in Australia, rent included.

  • U.S. Virgin Islands $6,693
  • Australia $3,789

A family of three spends $9,495 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $4,990 in Australia, rent included.

  • U.S. Virgin Islands $9,495
  • Australia $4,990

The regional cost range is wider in the U.S. Virgin Islands ($319–$6,163) than in Australia ($1,068–$3,299), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the U.S. Virgin Islands is about 50% higher than in Australia on average.

Both the U.S. Virgin Islands and Australia are pricier than the global median – the U.S. Virgin Islands by 188%, Australia by 91%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.16 $25.16
$17.24 A$24.87
45.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$147 $147
$85.1 A$123
72.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.83 $11.83
$11.18 A$16.13
5.81%
Cappuccino
$7.21 $7.21
$4.01 A$5.78
79.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 $3.28
$2.90 A$4.18
13.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.30 A$3.32
10.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.97 $6.97
$7.74 A$11.17
-9.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.81 $6.81
$8.16 A$11.78
-16.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.73 A$2.49
61.85%
White Bread (500g)
$6.71 $6.71
$2.69 A$3.88
149.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$2.24 A$3.22
629.02%
Eggs
$8.58 $8.58
$4.95 A$7.13
73.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.49 $23.49
$9.42 A$13.59
149.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$25.35 $25.35
$9.40 A$13.56
169.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$31.31 $31.31
$15.30 A$22.07
104.64%
Apples (1kg)
$13.24 $13.24
$3.65 A$5.27
262.74%
Banana (1kg)
$7.30 $7.30
$3.08 A$4.44
137.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$11.30 $11.30
$3.27 A$4.72
245.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$13.32 $13.32
$4.59 A$6.62
190.20%
Potato (1kg)
$4.67 $4.67
$2.83 A$4.08
65.02%
Onion (1kg)
$7.64 $7.64
$2.26 A$3.27
238.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$5.81 $5.81
$2.37 A$3.43
145.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$4.87 $4.87
$1.66 A$2.39
193.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.13 $7.13
$38.43 A$55.4
-81.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.26 $23.26
$14.21 A$20.50
63.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 $2.98
$4.95 A$7.15
-39.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.35 $6.35
$5.13 A$7.40
23.78%
🚌 Getting Around
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.97 $5.97
$2.46 A$3.56
142.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 $106
$93.0 A$134
13.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$19.79 $19.79
$3.66 A$5.28
440.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.17 $3.17
$1.82 A$2.62
74.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.2 $50.2
$43.83 A$63.2
14.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.35 A$1.94
-1.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.9K $49.9K
$29.8K A$43.0K
67.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$54.1K $54.1K
$26.1K A$37.6K
107.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$394 $394
$208 A$300
89.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$90.6 $90.6
$29.05 A$41.90
211.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.4 $86.4
$58.7 A$84.7
47.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$151 $151
$56.4 A$81.4
167.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.40 A$27.99
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 $11.95
$15.11 A$21.79
-20.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,487 $1,487
$2,113 A$3,048
-29.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K $16.1K
$23.1K A$33.3K
-30.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.4 $81.4
$80.0 A$115
1.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.5 $70.5
$54.2 A$78.2
30.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 $124
$112 A$161
11.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 $125
$125 A$180
0.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,682 $1,682
$1,620 A$2,337
3.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$1,256 A$1,812
20.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,880 $3,880
$2,616 A$3,774
48.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,141 $4,141
$2,007 A$2,895
106.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.5K $10.5K
$8,539 A$12.3K
22.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.7K $10.7K
$6,404 A$9,237
66.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
U.S. Virgin Islands
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,851 $3,851
$3,931 A$5,670
-2.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.72
5.96
29.53%

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

Last update for the U.S. Virgin Islands: November 2, 2026

Last update for Australia: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
U.S. Virgin Islands
$1.5K
Australia
$1.3K 16.9% $255
Groceries & Markets
U.S. Virgin Islands
$893
Australia
$373 58.3% $520
Monthly Utilities & Internet
U.S. Virgin Islands
$571
Australia
$296 48.2% $275
Eating Out
U.S. Virgin Islands
$395
Australia
$295 25.2% $100
Clothing & Footwear
U.S. Virgin Islands
$181
Australia
$167 7.7% $14
Sport & Entertainment
U.S. Virgin Islands
$175
Australia
$87 50.4% $88
Getting Around
U.S. Virgin Islands
$165
Australia
$116 30.1% $50

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,929 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $1,381 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie and $1,761 in Canberra.

Average salary: $4,207 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $3,863 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 60% more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 25% more expensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Good to know
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
04:20 4:20 AM
19:20 7:20 PM
15 h ahead of the U.S. Virgin Islands
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
87,146
26,473,055
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • U.S. Virgin Islands Australia 16,180 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Australia

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
U.S. Virgin Islands vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than the U.S. Virgin Islands?
Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the U.S. Virgin Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,929 versus $1,381 in Australia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Australia – part of why living there is about 33% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Australia or to the U.S. Virgin Islands?
Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

U.S. Virgin Islands vs other spots: cost of living compared

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