Cost of living in the Virgin Islands

Hi everybody,

It would be very useful to talk about the cost of living in the Virgin Islands.

How much does it cost to live in the Virgin Islands?

> accommodation prices

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...)

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?)

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)

> eduction prices (if you need to pay)

> energy prices (oil, electricity)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant

> prices of a beer and or a coffee in a regular pub

> price of the cinema

Do not hesitate to add items to this list!

Thanks in advance for your participation!!
---------------------------
The Expat.com team
Share your expat experience!

Cost-of-living in the Virgin Islands is relatively high.
Electric: very high. The actual elect is cheap; but they assess a surcharge that they compute which amounts to 3 times the amount of the actual electric usage.
**the amount of the bill changes frequently as electric is generated by oil and oil prices change frequently.
Food: a little higher. You can save money by buying from a veggie stand and buying your meat from Annaly Farms. Much cheaper.
Gasoline: as of today, $3.70 a gal.
Car Insurance: cheaper. Comp and collision around $300 a yr.
Veh. Registration: cheaper for older car. Around $50 a yr and inspection is $10.00 a yr.
Car repairs: around $80 an hr but parts generally unavailable and long waits to get them from US.
Rentals: Around $1,000.00 mo. for a clean, safe 1 br. Prices vary according to where you live. The eastern end of island is higher. Ocean fronts are high and mid-island cheaper.
Health Insurance: I don't know as I have Medicare.
Drs. office rates: Anywhere from $60 per visit on up for General Practioner.
Medical Services: (xrays, blood tests, etc) alot cheaper than in US
Retail purchases: a little higher to cover transportation costs.
Availability of goods: somewhat sporadic. You can't always get what you're used to getting in the US.
Taxes: No taxes on purchases. Only on gasoline.
Movies: around $7 unless you're senior, then matinees are $5.00
Internet: Around $48 a month for broadband.
Phone: Landline around $50 a month
Cell: Various prices: AT&T, Sprint, and Tracphone.
Restaurants: various prices. You can find nice places to eat at reasonable prices and some that are over priced and top end.
Veterinary svs: lower than the US.
All in all, not bad when you consider that you are paying a little higher price for beauty, ocean and a very laid back lifestyle.

Hi DogloverfromVI!

Welcome to Expat.com!

Thank you for this helpful contribution ;)

Armand