Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pago Pago and Waikiki, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,477 a month against $2,891 in Waikiki, HI, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index

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Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,477

/mo nomad

Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,477 in Pago Pago versus $2,891 in Waikiki, HI.

Pago Pago $1,477
Waikiki, HI $2,891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,274 in Pago Pago versus $4,468 in Waikiki, HI.

Pago Pago $2,274
Waikiki, HI $4,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in Pago Pago versus $6,044 in Waikiki, HI.

Pago Pago $3,071
Waikiki, HI $6,044

Living in Pago Pago costs roughly 49% less than in Waikiki, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pago Pago 9% above, Waikiki, HI 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.77 $24.77

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.62 $35.62

$142 $142

-74.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$15.28 $15.28

-35.21%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

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

$5.02 $5.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.50 $3.50

-72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.46 $10.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$11.64 $11.64

-66.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.05 $1.05

140.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.66 $3.66

-22.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$10.20 $10.20

-58.92%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$8.59 $8.59

-46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$12.38 $12.38

-18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$19.60 $19.60

-49.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$21.55 $21.55

-46.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$8.24 $8.24

-28.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.58 $1.58

-37.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$6.99 $6.99

-57.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$9.67 $9.67

-59.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.93 $4.93

-20.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.87 $4.87

-18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.27 $5.27

-61.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.93 $2.93

-32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$13.32 $13.32

-12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$18.12 $18.12

-18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.68 $2.68

-61.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$5.87 $5.87

-51.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.13 $2.13

-3.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 $125

$58.9 $58.9

111.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.45 $3.45

48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.55 $2.55

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.67 $29.67

$44.16 $44.16

-32.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.43 $1.43

-9.79%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$35.9K $35.9K

-15.62%

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

$20.0K $20.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

-23.90%

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

$415 $415

$259 $259

59.96%

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

$29.55 $29.55

$67.1 $67.1

-55.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 $75.9

$65.7 $65.7

15.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 $49.77

$43.31 $43.31

14.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 $10.03

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 $8.84

$19.72 $19.72

-55.17%

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

$984 $984

$2,113 $2,113

-53.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,831 $9,831

$27.0K $27.0K

-63.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

$62.8 $62.8

12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.70 $49.70

$46.75 $46.75

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$102 $102

-22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 $98.7

$134 $134

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 $327

$1,570 $1,570

-79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 $203

$1,162 $1,162

-82.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$2,347 $2,347

-61.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 $691

$1,991 $1,991

-65.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,836 $2,836

542.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$1,996 $1,996

445.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 $1,183

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

-55.22%

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

Last update for Pago Pago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waikiki, HI: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pago Pago

$520 35.2%

Waikiki, HI

$392 13.6% 24.6% $128

Groceries & Markets

Pago Pago

$363 24.6%

Waikiki, HI

$591 20.4% 63% $228

Accommodation & Living

Pago Pago

$203 13.7%

Waikiki, HI

$1.2K 40.2% 473% $959

Getting Around

Pago Pago

$148 10%

Waikiki, HI

$84 2.9% 43.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Pago Pago

$134 9.1%

Waikiki, HI

$155 5.4% 15.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Pago Pago

$67 4.6%

Waikiki, HI

$83 2.9% 22.7% $15

Eating Out

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8%

Waikiki, HI

$425 14.7% 923% $383

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 $1,570 in Waikiki, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Pago Pago vs $142 in Waikiki, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $591 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h ahead of Pago Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,500 Capital

19,862

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pago Pago Waikiki, HI 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Pago Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Waikiki, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pago Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,216 in Pago Pago and $4,337 in Waikiki, HI 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $327 in Pago Pago versus $1,570 in Waikiki, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Waikiki, HI runs roughly 53% less than in Pago Pago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $984 in Pago Pago versus $2,113 in Waikiki, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Pago Pago is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Waikiki, HI are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.