Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in the U.S. Virgin Islands
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U.S. Virgin Islands Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$3,888

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,888 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $3,888
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $6,705 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $6,705
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $9,522 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $9,522
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the U.S. Virgin Islands ($322–$6,072) than in the United States ($979–$5,160), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the U.S. Virgin Islands is about 42% higher than in the United States on average.

Both the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States are pricier than the global median – the U.S. Virgin Islands by 186%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 $24.67

$20.03 $20.03

23.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 $147

$80.0 $80.0

83.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.80 $11.80

3.31%

Cappuccino

$7.35 $7.35

$5.55 $5.55

32.43%

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

$3.29 $3.29

$2.66 $2.66

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.17 $2.17

22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.12 $6.12

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$7.94 $7.94

-14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.04 $1.04

173.08%

White Bread (500g)

$6.53 $6.53

$3.59 $3.59

81.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$4.52 $4.52

257.74%

Eggs

$8.69 $8.69

$4.28 $4.28

103.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.69 $23.69

$13.22 $13.22

79.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.22 $25.22

$12.60 $12.60

100.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.69 $31.69

$17.60 $17.60

80.06%

Apples (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$5.30 $5.30

155.47%

Banana (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$1.69 $1.69

356.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$4.44 $4.44

160.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$4.77 $4.77

186.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.97 $2.97

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$3.15 $3.15

141.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.20 $2.20

155.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.35 $2.35

99.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 $6.88

$10.98 $10.98

-37.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.33 $23.33

$15.05 $15.05

55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.06 $2.06

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 $6.46

$3.79 $3.79

70.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.94 $1.94

211.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$59.4 $59.4

74.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.39 $20.39

$3.58 $3.58

469.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.88 $1.88

62.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$29.84 $29.84

67.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.02 $1.02

31.37%

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

$50.6K $50.6K

$28.8K $28.8K

75.95%

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

$53.8K $53.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

105.32%

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

$384 $384

$218 $218

76.39%

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

$89.3 $89.3

$62.5 $62.5

42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$74.5 $74.5

15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$154 $154

$41.86 $41.86

266.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$14.70 $14.70

-18.84%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$1,489 $1,489

1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-34.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 $81.1

$54.3 $54.3

49.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 $70.1

$42.71 $42.71

64.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$94.1 $94.1

30.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$114 $114

9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 $1,679

$1,659 $1,659

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$1,348 $1,348

12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,850 $3,850

$2,682 $2,682

43.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,171 $4,171

$2,169 $2,169

92.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K $10.3K

$3,283 $3,283

213.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

$2,482 $2,482

342.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,885 $3,885

$4,296 $4,296

-9.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.72

6.55

17.86%

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 the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

U.S. Virgin Islands

$1.5K 39.1%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 11.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

U.S. Virgin Islands

$896 23.1%

United States

$415 15.2% 53.7% $481

Monthly Utilities & Internet

U.S. Virgin Islands

$560 14.4%

United States

$355 13% 36.6% $205

Eating Out

U.S. Virgin Islands

$394 10.1%

United States

$328 12% 16.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

U.S. Virgin Islands

$179 4.6%

United States

$137 5% 23.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

U.S. Virgin Islands

$177 4.6%

United States

$71 2.6% 59.8% $106

Getting Around

U.S. Virgin Islands

$163 4.2%

United States

$80 2.9% 51% $83

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,916 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,247 in Charlotte Amalie and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $4,193 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 76% more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Good to know

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h behind the U.S. Virgin Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,146

340,110,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

U.S. Virgin Islands United States 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

U.S. Virgin Islands
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 30% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the U.S. Virgin Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,916 versus $1,620 in the United States.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United States – part of why living there is about 30% cheaper overall.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.