For one person, living is cheaper in American Samoa: $1,470 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in American Samoa and in the United States
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in American Samoa and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,470 per month in American Samoa vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.
American Samoa $1,470
United States $2,734
A couple spends around $2,274 per month in American Samoa vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.
American Samoa $2,274
United States $3,985
A family of three spends $3,079 per month in American Samoa vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.
American Samoa $3,079
United States $5,235
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in American Samoa ($1,477–$1,477), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in American Samoa is roughly 46% lower than in the United States on average.
📊
Both American Samoa and the United States are pricier than the global median – American Samoa by 8%, the United States by 101%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$20.03$20.03
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.28$35.28
$80.0$80.0
-55.92%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.03$10.03
$11.80$11.80
-15.00%
Cappuccino
-
$5.55$5.55
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.66$2.66
-
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98$0.98
$2.17$2.17
-54.84%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$6.12$6.12
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92$3.92
$7.94$7.94
-50.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.62$2.62
$1.04$1.04
151.92%
White Bread(500g)
$2.83$2.83
$3.59$3.59
-21.17%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.25$4.25
$4.52$4.52
-5.97%
Eggs
$4.51$4.51
$4.28$4.28
5.37%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.30$10.30
$13.22$13.22
-22.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.95$9.95
$12.60$12.60
-21.03%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.47$11.47
$17.60$17.60
-34.83%
Apples(1kg)
$5.93$5.93
$5.30$5.30
11.89%
Banana(1kg)
$0.97$0.97
$1.69$1.69
-42.60%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.07$3.07
$4.44$4.44
-30.86%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.02$4.02
$4.77$4.77
-15.72%
Potato(1kg)
$4.04$4.04
$2.97$2.97
36.03%
Onion(1kg)
$4.05$4.05
$3.15$3.15
28.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.05$2.05
$2.20$2.20
-6.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.03$2.03
$2.35$2.35
-13.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$11.31$11.31
$10.98$10.98
3.01%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.27$15.27
$15.05$15.05
1.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02$1.02
$2.06$2.06
-50.49%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00$3.00
$3.79$3.79
-20.84%
🚌 Getting Around
American Samoa
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.96$1.96
$1.94$1.94
1.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$122$122
$59.4$59.4
105.67%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.99$4.99
$3.58$3.58
39.39%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.03$2.03
$1.88$1.88
7.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$30.26$30.26
$29.84$29.84
1.41%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.30$1.30
$1.02$1.02
27.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K$29.6K
$28.8K$28.8K
2.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.7K$19.7K
$26.2K$26.2K
-24.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$410$410
$218$218
88.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.48$29.48
$62.5$62.5
-52.81%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.8$75.8
$74.5$74.5
1.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.3$50.3
$41.86$41.86
20.26%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.92$9.92
$22.81$22.81
-56.51%
Cinema Ticket
$8.79$8.79
$14.70$14.70
-40.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,002$1,002
$1,489$1,489
-32.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,850$9,850
$25.3K$25.3K
-60.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.6$69.6
$54.3$54.3
28.12%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.84$49.84
$42.71$42.71
16.69%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$80.1$80.1
$94.1$94.1
-14.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100$100
$114$114
-11.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
American Samoa
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$324$324
$1,659$1,659
-80.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$198$198
$1,348$1,348
-85.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$906$906
$2,682$2,682
-66.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$700$700
$2,169$2,169
-67.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$18.1K$18.1K
$3,283$3,283
452.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$10.6K$10.6K
$2,482$2,482
325.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
American Samoa
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,199$1,199
$4,296$4,296
-72.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3
6.55
-54.20%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for American Samoa: October 24, 2026
Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
American Samoa
$515 35.1%
United States
$355 13% ↓ 31.1%$160
🛒Groceries & Markets
American Samoa
$367 25%
United States
$415 15.2% ↑ 13.2%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
American Samoa
$198 13.5%
United States
$1.3K 49.3% ↑ 582%$1.1K
🚌Getting Around
American Samoa
$145 9.9%
United States
$80 2.9% ↓ 44.8%$65
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
American Samoa
$135 9.2%
United States
$137 5% ↑ 1.7%$2.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
American Samoa
$68 4.6%
United States
$71 2.6% ↑ 4.9%$3.3
🍽Eating Out
American Samoa
$42 * 2.9%
United States
$328 12% ↑ 683%$286
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
American Samoa
$545 17.7%
United States
$417 8% ↓ 23.4%$127
🛒Groceries & Markets
American Samoa
$846 27.5%
United States
$953 18.2% ↑ 12.6%$107
🏠Accommodation & Living
American Samoa
$700 22.8%
United States
$2.2K 41.4% ↑ 210%$1.5K
🚌Getting Around
American Samoa
$294 9.6%
United States
$164 3.1% ↓ 44.2%$130
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
American Samoa
$300 9.7%
United States
$305 5.8% ↑ 1.7%$5
🎉Sport & Entertainment
American Samoa
$146 4.7%
United States
$165 3.2% ↑ 13.4%$20
🍽Eating Out
American Samoa
$248 * 8.1%
United States
$1.1K 20.3% ↑ 328%$814
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $327 in American Samoa vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $327 in Pago Pago and $2,768 in Washington, DC.
💰Average salary: $1,183 in American Samoa vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 395% higher in the United States.
⭐Dining out costs 108% more in the United States.
⭐Public transport is 98% more expensive in American Samoa.
⭐Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.
American Samoa→United States10,370 km≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
American Samoa
United States
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
American Samoa vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is American Samoa more expensive than the United States?
American Samoa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $327 in American Samoa.
Should I move to American Samoa or to the United States?
American Samoa is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
American Samoa vs other spots: cost of living compared