Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,059 a month against $1,479 in Pago Pago, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
Learn more

Pago Pago Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
Learn more

Ensenada Living Index

Jump to prices

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,479

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ensenada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,479 in Pago Pago versus $1,059 in Ensenada.

Pago Pago $1,479
Ensenada $1,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,291 in Pago Pago versus $1,687 in Ensenada.

Pago Pago $2,291
Ensenada $1,687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,102 in Pago Pago versus $2,315 in Ensenada.

Pago Pago $3,102
Ensenada $2,315

Living in Pago Pago is roughly 40% more expensive than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pago Pago is 9% above, Ensenada is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 MX$219

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 $36.28

$33.76 MX$634

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$7.18 MX$135

39.97%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MX$55.5

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

$1.17 MX$22.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.68 MX$12.76

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$49.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.06 MX$76.2

-2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.74 MX$32.60

50.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.57 MX$48.35

13.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.67 MX$31.40

164.07%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$2.56 MX$48.08

80.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.14 MX$153

23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$6.67 MX$125

51.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$10.16 MX$191

13.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.06 MX$38.67

192.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.57 MX$29.43

-34.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.75 MX$32.88

74.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.48 MX$27.88

168.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.26 MX$23.60

224.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.65 MX$30.90

139.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.39 MX$26.10

43.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.07 MX$20.05

89.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 $11.37

$4.01 MX$75.4

183.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.21 MX$248

12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.77 MX$33.18

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.51 MX$47.22

16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.79 MX$14.81

155.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 $126

$41.91 MX$787

200.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.78 MX$52.2

78.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 MX$36.36

0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$18.75 MX$352

57.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.32 MX$24.71

3.03%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$24.0K MX$451.0K

25.66%

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

$19.7K $19.7K

$22.8K MX$428.7K

-13.90%

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

$411 $411

$47.11 MX$885

771.79%

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

$29.94 $29.94

$31.50 MX$592

-4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

$25.23 MX$474

192.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 $50.9

$27.07 MX$508

88.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.72 MX$201

-5.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 $8.75

$4.45 MX$83.5

96.63%

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

$994 $994

$190 MX$3,560

424.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$4,882 MX$91.7K

106.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.5 MX$1,004

30.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$42.25 MX$793

18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$99.9 MX$1,877

-20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 $99.1

$57.8 MX$1,086

71.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 $326

$507 MX$9,515

-35.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 $202

$321 MX$6,026

-36.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$996 MX$18.7K

-9.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 $706

$632 MX$11.9K

11.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K $17.5K

$1,323 MX$24.8K

1225.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$660 MX$12.4K

1523.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,194 $1,194

$748 MX$14.0K

59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-73.45%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 31, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$515 34.8%

Ensenada

$104 9.8% 79.8% $411

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$368 24.9%

Ensenada

$248 23.4% 32.6% $120

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$202 13.7%

Ensenada

$321 30.3% 58.5% $118

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$149 10.1%

Ensenada

$58 5.4% 61.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$135 9.1%

Ensenada

$114 10.8% 15.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.6%

Ensenada

$36 3.4% 47.5% $32

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8%

Ensenada

$179 16.9% 325% $137

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 $326 in Pago Pago and $507 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pago Pago pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Pago Pago vs $34 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $248 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

23:52 11:52 PM

3 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

330,652

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pago Pago Ensenada 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Ensenada

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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,479 in Pago Pago and $1,059 in Ensenada, so Ensenada is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Pago Pago, 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: $326 in Pago Pago versus $507 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,479 per month in Pago Pago versus $1,059 in Ensenada – Ensenada is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 67% less than in Pago Pago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ensenada gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Ensenada are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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