North America · Basseterre
Cost of living in St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis is 30% cheaper than the US, ranking #44 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, food & groceries is the priciest category relative to the world (153), while health is the most affordable (74).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $70,000 in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Quality of life
56/100 · #157 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About St. Kitts and Nevis
Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade.
Read the full background
Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is St. Kitts and Nevis expensive to live in?
St. Kitts and Nevis is 30% cheaper than the US, ranking #44 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is food & groceries; health costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in St. Kitts and Nevis?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $70,000 in St. Kitts and Nevis, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is St. Kitts and Nevis cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 69.8, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in St. Kitts and Nevis?
St. Kitts and Nevis scores 56 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#157 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 72 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
Explore more: compare countries · full ranking · North America