Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Kauai, Hawaii

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,477 a month against $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,477

/mo nomad

Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pago Pago and in Kauai, Hawaii

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,477 in Pago Pago versus $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Pago Pago $1,477
Kauai, Hawaii $2,605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,274 in Pago Pago versus $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Pago Pago $2,274
Kauai, Hawaii $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in Pago Pago versus $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Pago Pago $3,071
Kauai, Hawaii $5,097

Living in Pago Pago costs roughly 43% less than in Kauai, Hawaii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pago Pago 9% above, Kauai, Hawaii 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.62 $35.62

$75.8 $75.8

-53.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$10.98 $10.98

-9.84%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

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

$2.53 $2.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.95 $1.95

-49.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$6.97 $6.97

-43.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.99 $0.99

155.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.48 $3.48

-18.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.27 $4.27

-1.87%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$4.09 $4.09

13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$12.44 $12.44

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$11.49 $11.49

-13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$15.60 $15.60

-25.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.77 $4.77

23.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.61 $1.61

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.35 $4.35

-32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.59 $4.59

-14.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.87 $2.87

36.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.89 $2.89

37.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.00 $2.00

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.17 $2.17

-9.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$9.47 $9.47

23.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$13.83 $13.83

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.77 $1.77

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.44 $3.44

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.06 $2.06

-0.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 $125

$55.5 $55.5

124.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.54 $3.54

44.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.57 $1.57

29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.67 $29.67

$29.13 $29.13

1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$0.84 $0.84

53.57%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$29.3K $29.3K

3.46%

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

$20.0K $20.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

-22.75%

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

$415 $415

$185 $185

124.74%

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

$29.55 $29.55

$53.9 $53.9

-45.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 $75.9

$68.1 $68.1

11.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 $49.77

$43.26 $43.26

15.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 $10.03

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 $8.84

$13.53 $13.53

-34.66%

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

$984 $984

$1,282 $1,282

-23.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,831 $9,831

$23.1K $23.1K

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

$50.1 $50.1

41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.70 $49.70

$39.37 $39.37

26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$85.0 $85.0

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 $98.7

$112 $112

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 $327

$1,605 $1,605

-79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 $203

$1,329 $1,329

-84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$2,647 $2,647

-65.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 $691

$2,266 $2,266

-69.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,817 $2,817

546.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$2,482 $2,482

338.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 $1,183

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

-53.92%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$520 35.2%

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8% 41.1% $214

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$363 24.6%

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8% 6.3% $23

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$203 13.7%

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51% 555% $1.1K

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$148 10%

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9% 49.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$134 9.1%

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5% 3.7% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$67 4.6%

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7% 4.3% $2.9

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8%

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9% 645% $268

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 $327 in Pago Pago and $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Pago Pago vs $76 in Kauai, Hawaii for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $385 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

73,610

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pago Pago Kauai, Hawaii 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Kauai, Hawaii

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 Kauai, Hawaii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pago Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,216 in Pago Pago and $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $327 in Pago Pago versus $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kauai, Hawaii runs roughly 55% less than in Pago Pago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $984 in Pago Pago versus $1,282 in Kauai, Hawaii. 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.

Safety-wise, Pago Pago and Kauai, Hawaii are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.