Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $37,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in the U.S. Virgin Islands
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U.S. Virgin Islands Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$3,888

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands versus $791 in China.

U.S. Virgin Islands $3,888
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,705 in the U.S. Virgin Islands versus $1,251 in China.

U.S. Virgin Islands $6,705
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,522 in the U.S. Virgin Islands versus $1,711 in China.

U.S. Virgin Islands $9,522
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands: monthly costs span $322 to $6,072, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Living in the U.S. Virgin Islands is roughly 391% more expensive than in China on average.

The U.S. Virgin Islands (186% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 $24.67

$2.98 ¥19.81

727.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 $147

$22.09 ¥147

565.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$5.20 ¥34.60

134.42%

Cappuccino

$7.35 $7.35

$2.97 ¥19.74

147.47%

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

$3.29 $3.29

$0.48 ¥3.19

585.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.30 ¥2.01

783.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$1.08 ¥7.18

535.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$2.28 ¥15.15

198.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.80 ¥11.96

57.78%

White Bread (500g)

$6.53 $6.53

$1.68 ¥11.15

288.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$0.92 ¥6.13

1657.61%

Eggs

$8.69 $8.69

$1.61 ¥10.73

439.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.69 $23.69

$13.38 ¥89.0

77.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.22 $25.22

$3.35 ¥22.28

652.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.69 $31.69

$11.35 ¥75.5

179.21%

Apples (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$1.82 ¥12.12

643.96%

Banana (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$1.31 ¥8.69

488.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$1.49 ¥9.89

677.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$1.27 ¥8.47

974.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$0.71 ¥4.73

571.83%

Onion (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$0.93 ¥6.21

718.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.62 $5.62

$0.62 ¥4.12

806.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$0.56 ¥3.74

737.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.78 ¥25.15

82.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.33 $23.33

$12.13 ¥80.7

92.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.83 ¥5.54

255.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 $6.46

$1.68 ¥11.21

284.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.04 $6.04

$0.29 ¥1.91

1982.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$17.83 ¥119

480.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.39 $20.39

$1.49 ¥9.89

1268.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.37 ¥2.49

727.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$7.10 ¥47.23

605.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.26 ¥8.37

6.35%

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

$50.6K $50.6K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

160.19%

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

$53.8K $53.8K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

206.83%

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

$384 $384

$54.6 ¥363

604.66%

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

$89.3 $89.3

$8.73 ¥58.1

922.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$11.07 ¥73.6

679.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$154 $154

$40.77 ¥271

276.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$6.78 ¥45.12

75.96%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$517 ¥3,437

192.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 $81.1

$46.53 ¥310

74.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 $70.1

$35.66 ¥237

96.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$77.0 ¥512

59.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$80.3 ¥534

54.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 $1,679

$386 ¥2,567

335.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$235 ¥1,561

547.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,850 $3,850

$822 ¥5,469

368.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,171 $4,171

$453 ¥3,015

820.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K $10.3K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

118.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

362.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,885 $3,885

$1,093 ¥7,274

255.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.72

3.46

123.12%

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

Last update for the U.S. Virgin Islands: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

U.S. Virgin Islands

$1.5K 39.1%

China

$235 29.6% 84.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

U.S. Virgin Islands

$896 23.1%

China

$210 26.5% 76.6% $686

Monthly Utilities & Internet

U.S. Virgin Islands

$560 14.4%

China

$74 9.4% 86.7% $486

Eating Out

U.S. Virgin Islands

$394 10.1%

China

$88 11.1% 77.6% $306

Clothing & Footwear

U.S. Virgin Islands

$179 4.6%

China

$108 13.6% 39.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

U.S. Virgin Islands

$177 4.6%

China

$54 6.9% 69.4% $123

Getting Around

U.S. Virgin Islands

$163 4.2%

China

$22 2.8% 86.3% $141

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,916 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,247 in Charlotte Amalie vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $4,193 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 543% higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 500% more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 478% more expensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Salaries are about 4.8 times higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Good to know

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

07:11 7:11 AM

12 h ahead of the U.S. Virgin Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,146

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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U.S. Virgin Islands China 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

U.S. Virgin Islands vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, China comes out about 80% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,916 in the U.S. Virgin Islands and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the U.S. Virgin Islands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.