Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honolulu, HI and Pago Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,456 a month against $3,943 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honolulu, HI and in Pago Pago

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

A single person spends $3,943 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $1,456 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,943
Pago Pago $1,456

A couple spends around $6,041 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $2,262 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $6,041
Pago Pago $2,262

A family of three spends $8,140 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $3,068 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,140
Pago Pago $3,068

Honolulu, HI costs about 171% more than Pago Pago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Honolulu, HI and Pago Pago sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 194%, Pago Pago by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.98 $27.98

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$36.18 $36.18

283.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$10.07 $10.07

48.66%

Cappuccino

$10.46 $10.46

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

$5.06 $5.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.01 $1.01

248.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.29 $10.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.46 $11.46

$3.89 $3.89

194.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.59 $2.59

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.82 $2.82

181.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$4.20 $4.20

143.33%

Eggs

$8.68 $8.68

$4.63 $4.63

87.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.37 $28.37

$10.03 $10.03

182.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$9.83 $9.83

99.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 $21.26

$11.47 $11.47

85.35%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$6.15 $6.15

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.02 $1.02

404.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.93 $2.93

131.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$4.02 $4.02

142.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.92 $3.92

27.30%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.06 $4.06

14.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.28 $5.28

$1.98 $1.98

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.02 $2.02

56.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.47 $12.47

$11.49 $11.49

8.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$14.79 $14.79

19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.99 $0.99

182.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$2.88 $2.88

94.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.03 $2.03

45.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 $90.5

$124 $124

-26.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$5.07 $5.07

-30.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.05 $2.05

24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.98 $43.98

$29.49 $29.49

49.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.36 $1.36

5.15%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$29.7K $29.7K

19.40%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$20.2K $20.2K

32.25%

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

$252 $252

$404 $404

-37.53%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$30.11 $30.11

119.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$76.3 $76.3

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 $62.9

$49.35 $49.35

27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.80 $31.80

$10.06 $10.06

216.10%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$9.22 $9.22

115.40%

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

$2,138 $2,138

$989 $989

116.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$9,838 $9,838

177.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$69.4 $69.4

-9.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 $45.96

$50.3 $50.3

-8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$81.3 $81.3

23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$102 $102

30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$327 $327

790.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$201 $201

862.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,002 $5,002

$884 $884

465.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,662 $3,662

$707 $707

417.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,608 $8,608

$18.1K $18.1K

-52.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,060 $7,060

$10.7K $10.7K

-33.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$1,217 $1,217

239.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

123.33%

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

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honolulu, HI

$1.9K 49.5%

Pago Pago

$201 13.7% 89.6% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.3%

Pago Pago

$364 24.8% 49.2% $352

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$503 12.8%

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.9% 91.6% $461

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$384 9.8%

Pago Pago

$510 34.7% 32.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9%

Pago Pago

$136 9.3% 11.4% $18

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3%

Pago Pago

$147 10% 24.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$103 2.6%

Pago Pago

$68 4.6% 33.9% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,908 in Honolulu, HI versus $327 in Pago Pago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 240% higher in Honolulu, HI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $139 in Honolulu, HI versus $36.00 in Pago Pago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $716 vs $364 – making Pago Pago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

00:37 12:37 AM

1 h behind Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

11,500 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Honolulu, HI Pago Pago 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, HI
Pago Pago

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

Honolulu, HI vs Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honolulu, HI costs about 171% more than Pago Pago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,914 per month in Honolulu, HI and $2,184 in Pago Pago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pago Pago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,943 in Honolulu, HI and $1,456 in Pago Pago. That's a gap of about 171%.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Pago Pago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pago Pago, where all-in costs run around $1,456, than in Honolulu, HI at $3,943. In Pago Pago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honolulu, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pago Pago costs $1,456 versus $3,943 in Honolulu, HI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pago Pago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honolulu, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.