Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Tahiti

For one person, living is cheaper in Tahiti: $866 a month against $1,456 in Pago Pago, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pago Pago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

$1,456

/mo nomad

Tahiti

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Pago Pago versus $866 in Tahiti.

Pago Pago $1,456
Tahiti $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,262 in Pago Pago versus $1,485 in Tahiti.

Pago Pago $2,262
Tahiti $1,485

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in Pago Pago versus $2,104 in Tahiti.

Pago Pago $3,068
Tahiti $2,104

Living in Pago Pago is roughly 68% more expensive than in Tahiti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pago Pago is 9% above, Tahiti is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.89 CFPF 1,586

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.18 $36.18

$56.0 CFPF 5,963

-35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.38 CFPF 1,212

-11.51%

Cappuccino

$4.95 CFPF 527

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

$2.15 CFPF 229

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.49 CFPF 265

-59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CFPF 683

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$7.14 CFPF 761

-45.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.22 CFPF 130

112.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.66 CFPF 390

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.26 CFPF 135

233.33%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$7.66 CFPF 815

-39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.98 CFPF 1,488

-29.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$21.35 CFPF 2,274

-46.28%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$5.94 CFPF 632

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.25 CFPF 346

-68.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.13 CFPF 546

-42.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$7.65 CFPF 815

-47.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.21 CFPF 236

77.38%

Onion (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.20 CFPF 235

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.84 CFPF 89.3

140.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 $11.49

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.26 CFPF 347

-69.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.70 CFPF 394

-22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.68 CFPF 178

20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 $124

$14.31 CFPF 1,524

765.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$9.62 CFPF 1,025

-47.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.41 CFPF 257

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$23.82 CFPF 2,536

23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.42 CFPF 151

-4.23%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$17.9K CFPF 1.9M

66.28%

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

$20.2K $20.2K

$31.9K CFPF 3.4M

-36.71%

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

$16.88 CFPF 1,798

78.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$76.6 CFPF 8,153

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 $49.35

$51.1 CFPF 5,443

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 $10.06

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 $9.22

$12.09 CFPF 1,287

-23.74%

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

$989 $989

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,838 $9,838

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

$1,051 CFPF 112.0K

-68.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 $201

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 $884

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

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

$2,028 CFPF 216.0K

-39.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

-37.63%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tahiti: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$510 34.7%

Tahiti

–

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$364 24.8%

Tahiti

–

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$201 13.7%

Tahiti

–

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$147 10%

Tahiti

–

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$136 9.3%

Tahiti

–

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$68 4.6%

Tahiti

–

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.9%

Tahiti

–

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 $1,051 in Tahiti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tahiti pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pago Pago vs $56.0 in Tahiti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $371 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇵🇫 Tahiti

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

183,645

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pago Pago Tahiti 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pago Pago
Tahiti

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 Tahiti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tahiti wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Pago Pago. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tahiti the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Tahiti. 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 $1,051 in Tahiti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pago Pago pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Pago Pago versus $866 in Tahiti – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Tahiti versus $1,456 in Pago Pago, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tahiti but tight or insufficient in Pago Pago. The gap between the two cities makes Tahiti 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 Tahiti 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 Tahiti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Pago Pago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.