Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Majuro and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $2,127 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index

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Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,127

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Majuro and in Apia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,127 in Majuro versus $851 in Apia.

Majuro $2,127
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,970 in Majuro versus $2,281 in Apia.

Majuro $2,970
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Majuro versus $3,711 in Apia.

Majuro $3,812
Apia $3,711

Living in Majuro is roughly 150% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Majuro is 59% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 $9.92

$47.76 WST 133

-79.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 $29.92

$36.89 WST 103

-18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 $10.56

$14.51 WST 40.39

-27.22%

Cappuccino

$4.35 $4.35

$2.93 WST 8.15

48.46%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$1.80 WST 5.01

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.39 WST 3.88

45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.51 WST 9.78

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.67 WST 10.20

40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.83 WST 5.09

21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$0.84 WST 2.34

309.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.86 WST 5.17

-4.84%

Eggs

$5.14 $5.14

$4.15 WST 11.55

23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.83 $30.83

$0.94 WST 2.62

3179.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$3.67 WST 10.21

201.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$8.60 WST 23.92

109.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$5.22 WST 14.54

-18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$1.79 WST 4.99

298.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$1.87 WST 5.21

377.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$4.34 WST 12.07

195.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.70 WST 10.29

39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$1.11 WST 3.10

404.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.79 $3.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.22 WST 3.40

54.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.31 WST 17.55

-5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 $9.99

$16.32 WST 45.41

-38.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.68 WST 10.24

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.57 WST 9.94

-18.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.33 WST 14.84

-49.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 $5.11

$21.64 WST 60.2

-76.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.06 WST 2.95

66.98%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

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

$34.8K $34.8K

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

$252 $252

$18.16 WST 50.6

1288.11%

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

$37.28 $37.28

$18.40 WST 51.2

102.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 $80.2

$36.53 WST 102

119.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 $37.80

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

$148 $148

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,635 $2,635

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 $40.02

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.23 $30.23

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 $50.1

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 $883

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$1,790 WST 4,982

-29.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,007 $1,007

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

Last update for Majuro: October 5, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Majuro

$883 41.2%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Majuro

$540 * 25.2%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Majuro

$370 17.3%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Majuro

$211 9.9%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Majuro

$86 4%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Majuro

$38 * 1.8%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Majuro

$14 * 0.7%

Apia

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Majuro vs $37.00 in Apia. Groceries flip the comparison at $540 vs $241, with Apia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Majuro

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

1 h ahead of Majuro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,000 Capital

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

WST to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Majuro Apia 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Majuro
Apia

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

Majuro vs Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 150% lower than in Majuro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,190 in Majuro and $1,277 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $2,127 per month in Majuro versus $851 in Apia – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Majuro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $2,127 in Majuro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Majuro. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Majuro and Apia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Majuro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.