Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,024 a month against $1,456 in Pago Pago, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pago Pago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,456

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pago Pago and in Arue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Pago Pago versus $1,024 in Arue.

Pago Pago $1,456
Arue $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,262 in Pago Pago versus $1,521 in Arue.

Pago Pago $2,262
Arue $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in Pago Pago versus $2,018 in Arue.

Pago Pago $3,068
Arue $2,018

Living in Pago Pago is roughly 42% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pago Pago is 9% above, Arue is 24% below.

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.18 $36.18

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.41 CFPF 150

83.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.65 CFPF 495

-39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.92 CFPF 417

7.14%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$11.52 CFPF 1,227

-59.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

$56.8 CFPF 6,044

-82.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$26.22 CFPF 2,792

-62.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$24.11 CFPF 2,568

-52.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$5.36 CFPF 570

14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.84 CFPF 302

-64.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$7.67 CFPF 816

-61.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$8.70 CFPF 927

-53.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.19 CFPF 446

-6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.94 CFPF 313

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.71 CFPF 395

-46.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.44 CFPF 153

40.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 $11.49

$11.80 CFPF 1,257

-2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$28.76 CFPF 3,063

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.90 CFPF 308

-65.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$7.65 CFPF 815

-62.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 $124

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

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

$29.7K $29.7K

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

$20.2K $20.2K

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

$404 $404

$161 CFPF 17.1K

151.32%

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

$30.11 $30.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$122 CFPF 13.0K

-37.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 $49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 $10.06

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 $9.22

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

$989 $989

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,838 $9,838

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 $69.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 $327

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 $201

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 $884

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,217 $1,217

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$510 34.7%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$364 24.8%

Arue

–

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$201 13.7%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$147 10%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$136 9.3%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.6%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.9%

Arue

–

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

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

10,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pago Pago Arue 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Arue

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

Pago Pago vs Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Pago Pago. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,184 in Pago Pago and $1,536 in Arue 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.

Shoppers in Pago Pago pay roughly 107% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Pago Pago versus $1,024 in Arue – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Arue versus $1,456 in Pago Pago, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Pago Pago. The gap between the two cities makes Arue 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, Pago Pago and Arue 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 Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Pago Pago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.