Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Kailua, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,471 a month against $4,119 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,471

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,471 in Pago Pago versus $4,119 in Kailua, HI.

Pago Pago $1,471
Kailua, HI $4,119

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,269 in Pago Pago versus $6,034 in Kailua, HI.

Pago Pago $2,269
Kailua, HI $6,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,067 in Pago Pago versus $7,950 in Kailua, HI.

Pago Pago $3,067
Kailua, HI $7,950

Living in Pago Pago costs roughly 64% less than in Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pago Pago 9% above, Kailua, HI 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.44 $27.44

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.31 $35.31

$139 $139

-74.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.31 $11.31

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

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

$3.08 $3.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.29 $2.29

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.78 $9.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$9.20 $9.20

-56.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.26 $2.26

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$7.79 $7.79

-63.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$7.90 $7.90

-46.96%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$8.13 $8.13

-44.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 $10.27

$18.97 $18.97

-45.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$15.95 $15.95

-36.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$21.45 $21.45

-46.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.93 $7.93

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$4.49 $4.49

-78.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$6.77 $6.77

-57.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$9.55 $9.55

-57.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.61 $3.61

9.70%

Onion (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.66 $4.66

-12.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$4.47 $4.47

-56.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.02 $3.02

-35.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$12.67 $12.67

-8.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$16.63 $16.63

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.66 $2.66

-63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.12 $2.12

40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.92 $3.92

-48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 $126

$90.7 $90.7

38.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.60 $3.60

36.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.66 $2.66

-25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.42 $29.42

$45.40 $45.40

-35.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-16.33%

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

$20.3K $20.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-24.34%

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

$407 $407

$249 $249

63.52%

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

$29.46 $29.46

$49.11 $49.11

-40.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$66.0 $66.0

11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 $50.6

$71.4 $71.4

-29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.13 $10.13

$39.59 $39.59

-74.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.92 $8.92

$18.47 $18.47

-51.71%

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

$1,001 $1,001

$2,175 $2,175

-53.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,885 $9,885

$26.9K $26.9K

-63.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 $69.3

$62.0 $62.0

11.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$47.54 $47.54

6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$99.5 $99.5

-20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$131 $131

-22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 $328

$2,786 $2,786

-88.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 $202

$2,320 $2,320

-91.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 $891

$4,185 $4,185

-78.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 $688

$3,679 $3,679

-81.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$12.3K $12.3K

47.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$9,689 $9,689

10.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 $1,195

$4,797 $4,797

-75.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

-55.22%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$510 34.7%

Kailua, HI

$364 8.8% 28.6% $146

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$365 24.8%

Kailua, HI

$632 15.4% 73.3% $267

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$202 13.7%

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.3% 1049% $2.1K

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$149 10.1%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 17.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$135 9.2%

Kailua, HI

$153 3.7% 13.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.7%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 58.3% $40

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8%

Kailua, HI

$418 10.1% 903% $376

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 $328 in Pago Pago and $2,786 in Kailua, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kailua, HI pays 302% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Pago Pago vs $139 in Kailua, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $632 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pago Pago Kailua, HI 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Kailua, HI

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 Kailua, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 302% lower in Kailua, HI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $328 in Pago Pago versus $2,786 in Kailua, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pago Pago runs roughly 39% less than in Kailua, HI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,001 in Pago Pago versus $2,175 in Kailua, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Pago Pago versus $4,119 in Kailua, HI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pago Pago but tight or insufficient in Kailua, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Pago Pago 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 Kailua, HI 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 Pago Pago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Kailua, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.