Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,465 in Pago Pago versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,287 in Pago Pago versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,109 in Pago Pago versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Pago Pago is roughly 16% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pago Pago is 6% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.55 $35.55

$32.22 ฿1,065

10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$8.68 ฿287

17.17%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.49 ฿16.16

102.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.73 ฿123

9.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.89 ฿62.3

38.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.41 ฿46.54

110.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.62 ฿53.6

169.75%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$2.24 ฿74.1

96.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$19.84 ฿656

-47.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.48 ฿115

188.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$11.37 ฿376

-1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

102.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.72 ฿57.0

-43.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.27 ฿75.1

35.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.13 ฿70.4

89.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.47 ฿48.72

164.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.42 ฿46.92

180.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.10 ฿36.25

83.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.60 ฿19.76

231.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.46 $11.46

$4.31 ฿142

165.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.60 ฿615

-19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.80 ฿59.5

-43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.97 ฿98.0

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.25 ฿74.2

-11.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 $124

$23.49 ฿776

427.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.10 ฿102

56.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.08 ฿35.56

80.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 $29.41

$3.87 ฿128

659.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.43 ฿47.16

-9.09%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

9.63%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-25.34%

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

$408 $408

$105 ฿3,462

289.04%

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

$29.64 $29.64

$11.39 ฿376

160.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$17.54 ฿580

328.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 $49.40

$54.3 ฿1,795

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.44 ฿378

-12.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.25 $9.25

$7.78 ฿257

18.89%

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

$995 $995

$576 ฿19.0K

72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,813 $9,813

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$63.6 ฿2,103

11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.64 $49.64

$29.10 ฿961

70.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 $80.7

$96.2 ฿3,179

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$90.0 ฿2,974

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 $319

$733 ฿24.2K

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 $204

$501 ฿16.5K

-59.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 $888

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 $700

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-44.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K $17.7K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

402.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

303.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,214 $1,214

$508 ฿16.8K

139.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Pago Pago and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pago Pago pays 139% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $275 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Pago Pago. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 139% 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: $319 in Pago Pago versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 428% less than in Pago Pago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $995 in Pago Pago versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,465 in Pago Pago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pago Pago. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pago Pago and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Pago Pago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.