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Guides

Plain-language guides to buying, renting and owning property in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each lists its sources and the date it was last updated.

The covered entrance of Tutu Park Mall on St. Thomas, with its green sign and yellow bollards

Cost of Living in the USVI: Power, Water and Housing

Moving, updated October 29, 2026

Living in the USVI is costly in several ways: WAPA's posted residential power rates top 40 cents per kWh, and consumer prices rose 7.1 percent in 2024, over twice the U.S. rate, by the territory's own index. Census rents and incomes help you budget by island.

Guides by topic

Buying

How buying works in the islands, what it costs, and the checks that matter here: title, survey, cistern and insurance.

Renting

Finding a long-term rental, what rents look like, and what to ask before you sign a lease.

Investing

Owning rental property, short-term rental rules and the taxes and insurance to research.

Moving

Living on each island, comparing them, and the practical steps of a move.

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