Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,477 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Pago Pago, American Samoa
Medellin, Colombia
Pago Pago
🇦🇸 American Samoa
$1,477
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,477 per month in Pago Pago vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Pago Pago $1,477
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,274 per month in Pago Pago vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Pago Pago $2,274
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,071 per month in Pago Pago vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Pago Pago $3,071
  • Medellin $3,186

Pago Pago is about 10% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pago Pago and Medellin sit above the global median – Pago Pago by 9%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$8.09 COP 25.4K
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.62 $35.62
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-24.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 $9.90
$9.50 COP 29.9K
4.21%
Cappuccino
-
$3.01 COP 9,485
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.80 COP 5,660
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.41 COP 4,443
-30.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.18 COP 9,990
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 $3.95
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-31.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.51 COP 4,751
67.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 $2.85
$2.38 COP 7,480
19.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.77 COP 5,573
136.72%
Eggs
$4.63 $4.63
$2.89 COP 9,093
60.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.13 $10.13
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-0.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.98 $9.98
$9.87 COP 31.1K
1.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.55 $11.55
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-17.44%
Apples (1kg)
$5.89 $5.89
$3.97 COP 12.5K
48.36%
Banana (1kg)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.55 COP 4,883
-36.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.18 COP 6,867
34.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$2.18 COP 6,870
80.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$1.96 COP 6,174
100.51%
Onion (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.59 COP 5,000
149.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.15 COP 3,604
77.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.24 COP 3,911
58.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.66 $11.66
$3.96 COP 12.5K
194.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.74 $14.74
$13.68 COP 43.0K
7.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.66 COP 5,221
-38.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.26 COP 7,103
26.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.17 COP 3,674
75.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 $125
$77.4 COP 243.4K
61.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 $5.13
$1.27 COP 3,989
303.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 $2.04
$2.05 COP 6,442
-0.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.67 $29.67
$8.55 COP 26.9K
247.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.35 COP 4,237
-4.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K $30.3K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-11.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K $20.0K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-42.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$415 $415
$170 COP 533.7K
144.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.55 $29.55
$13.55 COP 42.6K
118.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.9 $75.9
$28.07 COP 88.3K
170.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.77 $49.77
$43.70 COP 137.5K
13.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.03 $10.03
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-41.65%
Cinema Ticket
$8.84 $8.84
$6.91 COP 21.7K
27.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$984 $984
$797 COP 2.5M
23.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,831 $9,831
$9,112 COP 28.7M
7.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 $70.8
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-16.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.70 $49.70
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-14.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 $78.7
$135 COP 424.6K
-41.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 $98.7
$97.9 COP 307.9K
0.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$327 $327
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-72.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 $203
$642 COP 2.0M
-68.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$911 $911
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-55.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$691 $691
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-31.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.2K $18.2K
$4,170 COP 13.1M
336.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.9K $10.9K
$1,910 COP 6.0M
470.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pago Pago
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,183 $1,183
$657 COP 2.1M
80.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
10.94
-72.58%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pago Pago
$520
Medellin
$211 59.4% $309
Groceries & Markets
Pago Pago
$363
Medellin
$297 18.1% $66
Accommodation & Living
Pago Pago
$203
Medellin
$642 216% $439
Getting Around
Pago Pago
$148
Medellin
$94 36.9% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Pago Pago
$134
Medellin
$169 26.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Pago Pago
$67
Medellin
$58 14.7% $9.9
Eating Out
Pago Pago
$42 *
Medellin
$170 309% $128

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $327 in Pago Pago versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Pago Pago, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pago Pago versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Pago Pago vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇸 Pago Pago
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:05 7:05 AM
13:05 1:05 PM
6 h ahead of Pago Pago
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,500 Capital
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pago Pago Medellin 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pago Pago
  • Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pago Pago cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,216 per month in Pago Pago and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pago Pago, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $327 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Pago Pago or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pago Pago and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Pago Pago and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,477 in Pago Pago and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 11%.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Pago Pago or in Medellin?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,477 in Pago Pago and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Pago Pago or in Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,477 in Pago Pago to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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