Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and American Samoa

Name: American Samoa
Address: AS

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,470 in American Samoa, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in American Samoa
Learn more

American Samoa Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in American Samoa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in American Samoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $791 per month in China vs $1,470 in American Samoa, rent included.

China $791
American Samoa $1,470

A couple spends around $1,251 per month in China vs $2,274 in American Samoa, rent included.

China $1,251
American Samoa $2,274

A family of three spends $1,711 per month in China vs $3,079 in American Samoa, rent included.

China $1,711
American Samoa $3,079

The regional cost range is wider in China ($465–$1,222) than in American Samoa ($1,477–$1,477), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in China is roughly 46% lower than in American Samoa on average.

China sits 42% below the global median, while American Samoa is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$35.28 $35.28

-37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$10.03 $10.03

-48.16%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.19

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.98 $0.98

-69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$3.92 $3.92

-41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$2.62 $2.62

-31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$2.83 $2.83

-40.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$4.25 $4.25

-78.35%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$4.51 $4.51

-64.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$10.30 $10.30

29.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$9.95 $9.95

-66.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$11.47 $11.47

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$5.93 $5.93

-69.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$0.97 $0.97

35.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$3.07 $3.07

-51.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$4.02 $4.02

-68.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$4.04 $4.04

-82.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$4.05 $4.05

-77.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$2.05 $2.05

-69.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$2.03 $2.03

-72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$11.31 $11.31

-66.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$15.27 $15.27

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.02 $1.02

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.00 $3.00

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.96 $1.96

-85.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$122 $122

-85.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$4.99 $4.99

-70.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.03 $2.03

-81.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$30.26 $30.26

-76.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.30 $1.30

-3.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$29.6K $29.6K

-34.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$19.7K $19.7K

-10.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$54.6 ¥363

$410 $410

-86.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.73 ¥58.1

$29.48 $29.48

-70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$75.8 $75.8

-85.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$50.3 $50.3

-19.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$9.92 $9.92

45.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$8.79 $8.79

-22.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$517 ¥3,438

$1,002 $1,002

-48.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$9,850 $9,850

101.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$69.6 $69.6

-33.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$49.84 $49.84

-28.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$80.1 $80.1

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$100 $100

-19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$324 $324

19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$198 $198

18.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$906 $906

-9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$700 $700

-35.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$18.1K $18.1K

-74.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$10.6K $10.6K

-77.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$1,199 $1,199

-8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

15.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for American Samoa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

American Samoa

$198 13.5% 15.7% $37

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

American Samoa

$367 25% 74.7% $157

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

American Samoa

$135 9.2% 25.1% $27

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

American Samoa

$42 * 2.9% 52.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

American Samoa

$515 35.1% 593% $441

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

American Samoa

$68 4.6% 25% $14

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

American Samoa

$145 9.9% 550% $123

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $298 in China vs $327 in American Samoa. For reference, capital cities sit at $933 in Beijing (Pekin) and $327 in Pago Pago.

Average salary: $873 in China vs $1,183 in American Samoa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in American Samoa.

Dining out costs 64% more in American Samoa.

Public transport is 594% more expensive in American Samoa.

Salaries are 36% higher in American Samoa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇦🇸 American Samoa

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

19 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

49,710

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China American Samoa 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

China
American Samoa

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

China vs American Samoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% lower on average.

Housing costs more in American Samoa: a central one-bedroom averages $327 versus $298 in China.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in China, adding to the overall 86% price gap.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.