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Cost of living in St. Lucia

St. Lucia is 48% cheaper than the US, ranking #80 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.

World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.

Cost of living · US = 100
52.2
Ranks #80 of 203 · 48% cheaper than the US
GDP / capita (PPP)
$27,567
GNI / capita (PPP)
$24,840
Inflation · YoY
-0.1%
Population
179.7K
Capital
Castries
Density
294 /km²
Urban
29%
Area
620 km²

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. Lucia, food & groceries is the priciest category relative to the world (171), while housing & utilities is the most affordable (50).

Food & groceries 171
Transport 137
Communication 135
Restaurants & hotels 103
Health 80
Housing & utilities 50

Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source

St. Lucia on the map

What your money is worth here

A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $52,000 in St. Lucia.

Quality of life

54/100 · #163 of 198

Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).

Quality-of-life score
54 / 100
Our transparent equal-weight composite
Life expectancy
73 yrs
World Bank · 2024 · source
Safety · homicide /100k
39.0
UNODC · 2023 · source
Infant mortality /1k
16
World Bank · 2024 · source
Internet users
68%
ITU · 2024 · source
Air quality · PM2.5
24 µg/m³
WHO · 2020 · source

About St. Lucia

England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.

Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.

Frequently asked

Is St. Lucia expensive to live in?

St. Lucia is 48% cheaper than the US, ranking #80 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is food & groceries; housing & utilities costs the least.

How much money do you need to live in St. Lucia?

A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $52,000 in St. Lucia, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.

Is St. Lucia cheaper than the United States?

Yes. Its overall price level is 52.2, against 100 for the United States.

What is the quality of life in St. Lucia?

St. Lucia scores 54 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#163 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 73 years.

Every number, sourced.

We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.

Price level index (US = 100)
Derived: nominal ÷ PPP GDP per capita, indexed to the US
52.2
GDP per capita (PPP)
World Bank · 2024 · source
$27,567
GNI per capita (PPP)
World Bank · 2024 · source
$24,840
Inflation (annual %)
World Bank · 2024 · source
-0.1%
Population
World Bank · 2024 · source
179.7K
Population density
World Bank · 2023 · source
294 /km²
Urban population
World Bank · 2024 · source
29%
Surface area
World Bank · 2023 · source
620 km²

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