Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,456 a month against $3,142 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
156

Cost of Living Index in Lihue, HI
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Lihue, HI Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,456

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pago Pago and in Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Pago Pago versus $3,142 in Lihue, HI.

Pago Pago $1,456
Lihue, HI $3,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,262 in Pago Pago versus $5,482 in Lihue, HI.

Pago Pago $2,262
Lihue, HI $5,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in Pago Pago versus $7,823 in Lihue, HI.

Pago Pago $3,068
Lihue, HI $7,823

Living in Pago Pago costs roughly 54% less than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pago Pago 9% above, Lihue, HI 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 $25.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.18 $36.18

$110 $110

-67.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.46 $13.46

-25.19%

Cappuccino

$6.45 $6.45

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

$3.69 $3.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.45 $2.45

-58.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$8.17 $8.17

-52.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.83 $1.83

41.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$6.70 $6.70

-57.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.80 $2.80

50.00%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$10.28 $10.28

-54.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

$15.43 $15.43

-35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$15.13 $15.13

-35.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$19.57 $19.57

-41.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.84 $4.84

27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.27 $3.27

-68.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$8.89 $8.89

-67.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$9.83 $9.83

-59.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.81 $4.81

-18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.97 $5.97

-31.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 $11.49

$11.85 $11.85

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$16.00 $16.00

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.64 $1.64

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.67 $1.67

72.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.02 $2.02

0.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 $124

$52.5 $52.5

136.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.79 $7.79

-34.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.84 $1.84

11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$14.96 $14.96

97.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.27 $1.27

7.09%

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

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

$30.11 $30.11

$29.64 $29.64

1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$60.1 $60.1

26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 $49.35

$91.5 $91.5

-46.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 $10.06

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 $9.22

$8.86 $8.86

4.06%

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

$989 $989

$1,193 $1,193

-17.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,838 $9,838

$16.2K $16.2K

-39.39%

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

$2,435 $2,435

-86.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 $201

$2,018 $2,018

-90.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 $884

$5,150 $5,150

-82.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$4,738 $4,738

-85.07%

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

$2,019 $2,019

-39.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

-55.16%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$510 34.7%

Lihue, HI

$90 * 2.8% 82.4% $420

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$364 24.8%

Lihue, HI

$517 * 16.1% 41.9% $153

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$201 13.7%

Lihue, HI

$2K 63% 903% $1.8K

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$147 10%

Lihue, HI

$78 2.4% 47.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$136 9.3%

Lihue, HI

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.6%

Lihue, HI

$109 3.4% 61.1% $41

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.9%

Lihue, HI

$393 12.3% 836% $351

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 $2,435 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lihue, HI pays 66% 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: $36.00 in Pago Pago vs $110 in Lihue, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $517 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

17:55 5:55 PM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pago Pago Lihue, HI 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Lihue, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pago Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Lihue, 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: $327 in Pago Pago versus $2,435 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Pago Pago versus $3,142 in Lihue, HI – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pago Pago runs roughly 136% less than in Lihue, HI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,456 in Pago Pago versus $3,142 in Lihue, HI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pago Pago but tight or insufficient in Lihue, 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 Lihue, 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 116% less than in Lihue, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.