Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Pago Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,479 a month against $4,102 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

196

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,102

/mo nomad

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA 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 Los Angeles, CA and in Pago Pago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,102 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,479 in Pago Pago.

Los Angeles, CA $4,102
Pago Pago $1,479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,042 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,291 in Pago Pago.

Los Angeles, CA $6,042
Pago Pago $2,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,983 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,102 in Pago Pago.

Los Angeles, CA $7,983
Pago Pago $3,102

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 177% more expensive than in Pago Pago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 203% above, Pago Pago 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.98 $27.98

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$36.28 $36.28

231.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.95 $14.95

$10.05 $10.05

48.76%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

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

$3.85 $3.85

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.98 $0.98

168.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.63 $8.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.08 $10.08

$3.97 $3.97

153.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.62 $2.62

-51.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.92 $2.92

61.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.41 $4.41

11.79%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$4.61 $4.61

20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 $10.90

$10.08 $10.08

8.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$10.08 $10.08

56.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$11.57 $11.57

75.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.03 $6.03

-14.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.03 $1.03

112.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.06 $3.06

59.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.97 $3.97

36.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.09 $4.09

-19.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.95 $3.95

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.99 $1.99

-2.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.03 $2.03

29.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$11.37 $11.37

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$14.86 $14.86

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.99 $0.99

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.93 $2.93

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.02 $2.02

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$126 $126

-17.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 $3.71

$4.95 $4.95

-25.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.95 $1.95

8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.25 $37.25

$29.48 $29.48

26.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.36 $1.36

20.59%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$30.2K $30.2K

17.31%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$19.7K $19.7K

36.87%

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

$298 $298

$411 $411

-27.54%

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

$78.6 $78.6

$29.94 $29.94

162.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$73.9 $73.9

6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 $78.0

$50.9 $50.9

53.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.20 $12.20

$10.12 $10.12

20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$18.18 $18.18

$8.75 $8.75

107.77%

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

$1,688 $1,688

$994 $994

69.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$48.6K $48.6K

$10.1K $10.1K

381.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 $91.7

$69.9 $69.9

31.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 $67.9

$50.2 $50.2

35.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$79.9 $79.9

51.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 $215

$99.1 $99.1

117.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,564 $2,564

$326 $326

687.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 $2,290

$202 $202

1031.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,213 $5,213

$901 $901

478.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,921 $3,921

$706 $706

455.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,107 $7,107

$17.5K $17.5K

-59.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,985 $6,985

$10.7K $10.7K

-34.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,211 $4,211

$1,194 $1,194

252.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.91

130.33%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 55.8%

Pago Pago

$202 13.7% 91.2% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$466 11.4%

Pago Pago

$368 24.9% 21% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$455 11.1%

Pago Pago

$515 34.8% 13% $59

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$428 10.4%

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8% 90.2% $386

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$223 5.4%

Pago Pago

$135 9.1% 39.7% $89

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$125 3.1%

Pago Pago

$149 10.1% 19.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.8%

Pago Pago

$68 4.6% 40.1% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,564 in Los Angeles, CA and $326 in Pago Pago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $120 in Los Angeles, CA vs $36 in Pago Pago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $368 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

11,500 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Pago Pago 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, CA
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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

Los Angeles, CA vs Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Los Angeles, CA is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,564 in Los Angeles, CA versus $326 in Pago Pago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Los Angeles, CA runs roughly 18% less than in Pago Pago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,688 in Los Angeles, CA versus $994 in Pago Pago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Pago Pago is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Pago Pago wins on affordability, Los Angeles, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.