Cost of living comparison
compared to
California vs. British Virgin Islands Cost of Living Summary
California is 48.4% more expensive than British Virgin Islands overall.
California vs. British Virgin Islands Cost Breakdown
If you lived in California instead of British Virgin Islands, you would:
pay 17.3% more for restaurants
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $24.49 | $21.84 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $13.25 | $12.33 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $1.97 | $2.79 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $1.50 | $2.17 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of restaurants
pay 4.8% less for groceries
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $4.96 | $4.20 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $7.75 | $6.77 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $9.43 | $4.73 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $6.10 | $5.14 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.21 | $6.05 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.56 | $2.30 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.59 | $0.92 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $0.91 | $1.91 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $3.22 | $2.38 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $2.39 | $1.50 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.95 | $1.41 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of groceries
pay 1.7% more for transportation
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.64 | $4.72 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | ?? | $63.04 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | ?? | $30,529.84 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | ?? | $21.43 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of transportation
pay 37.2% more for housing
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $120.00 | $67.96 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,458.33 | $2,385.40 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,183.33 | $2,043.56 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $110.12 | $171.94 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of housing
pay 3.6 times more for childcare
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $375.00 | $1,633.13 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $10,320.00 | $30,339.97 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of childcare
pay 36.4% more for entertainment and sports
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $3.75 | $7.31 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $6.04 | $5.58 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $5.00 | $10.92 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $120.00 | $68.02 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $12.50 | $14.99 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 13.8% less for clothing
British Virgin Islands | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $47.50 | $56.47 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $55.00 | $40.47 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $155.00 | $87.50 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $125.00 | $119.94 | |
British Virgin Islands vs. California - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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