Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Punaauia

For one person, living is cheaper in Punaauia: $13.65 a month against $1,479 in Pago Pago, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,479

/mo nomad

Punaauia

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$13.65

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,479 in Pago Pago versus $13.65 in Punaauia.

Pago Pago $1,479
Punaauia $13.65

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,291 in Pago Pago versus $24 in Punaauia.

Pago Pago $2,291
Punaauia $24

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,102 in Pago Pago versus $34 in Punaauia.

Pago Pago $3,102
Punaauia $34

Living in Pago Pago is roughly 10735% more expensive than in Punaauia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pago Pago is 9% above, Punaauia is 99% below.

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 $36.28

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.37 CFPF 145

91.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 $11.37

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 $126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

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

$30.2K $30.2K

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

$19.7K $19.7K

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

$411 $411

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

$29.94 $29.94

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 $50.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 $8.75

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

$994 $994

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 $69.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 $99.1

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 $326

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 $202

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 $706

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K $17.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,194 $1,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 31, 2026

Last update for Punaauia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$515 34.8%

Punaauia

–

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$368 24.9%

Punaauia

–

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$202 13.7%

Punaauia

–

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$149 10.1%

Punaauia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$135 9.1%

Punaauia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.6%

Punaauia

–

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8%

Punaauia

–

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

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇵🇫 Punaauia

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

05:25 5:25 AM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

25,399

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pago Pago Punaauia 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Punaauia

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 Punaauia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punaauia wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Pago Pago. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Punaauia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,218 in Pago Pago and $20 in Punaauia 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2597% higher in Pago Pago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,479 per month in Pago Pago versus $13.65 in Punaauia – Punaauia is about 99% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $13.65 in Punaauia versus $1,479 in Pago Pago, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Punaauia but tight or insufficient in Pago Pago. The gap between the two cities makes Punaauia 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 Punaauia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.