Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Pago Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,456 a month against $2,321 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,321

/mo nomad

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Papeete and in Pago Pago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Papeete versus $1,456 in Pago Pago.

Papeete $2,321
Pago Pago $1,456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,432 in Papeete versus $2,262 in Pago Pago.

Papeete $3,432
Pago Pago $2,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,544 in Papeete versus $3,068 in Pago Pago.

Papeete $4,544
Pago Pago $3,068

Living in Papeete is roughly 59% more expensive than in Pago Pago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 73% above, Pago Pago 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CFPF 1,983

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 CFPF 9,917

$36.18 $36.18

157.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.59 CFPF 1,554

$10.07 $10.07

44.89%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CFPF 354

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

$2.71 CFPF 289

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CFPF 359

$1.01 $1.01

233.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 CFPF 356

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CFPF 412

$3.89 $3.89

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 152

$2.59 $2.59

-44.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CFPF 291

$2.82 $2.82

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CFPF 176

$4.20 $4.20

-60.71%

Eggs

$6.42 CFPF 684

$4.63 $4.63

38.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.71 CFPF 2,951

$10.03 $10.03

176.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 CFPF 1,607

$9.83 $9.83

53.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.13 CFPF 2,783

$11.47 $11.47

127.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 CFPF 513

$6.15 $6.15

-21.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 CFPF 270

$1.02 $1.02

149.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 707

$2.93 $2.93

126.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.90 CFPF 841

$4.02 $4.02

96.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CFPF 282

$3.92 $3.92

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CFPF 236

$4.06 $4.06

-45.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.76 CFPF 401

$1.98 $1.98

89.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 118

$2.02 $2.02

-45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 CFPF 1,376

$11.49 $11.49

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.89 CFPF 2,225

$14.79 $14.79

41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CFPF 298

$0.99 $0.99

182.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 339

$2.88 $2.88

10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CFPF 205

$2.03 $2.03

-5.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 $124

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 CFPF 982

$5.07 $5.07

81.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 CFPF 156

$1.36 $1.36

8.09%

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

$29.7K $29.7K

-37.22%

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

$28.4K CFPF 3.0M

$20.2K $20.2K

40.84%

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

$184 CFPF 19.6K

$404 $404

-54.42%

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

$19.80 CFPF 2,109

$30.11 $30.11

-34.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 CFPF 7,344

$76.3 $76.3

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.2 CFPF 8,967

$49.35 $49.35

70.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 $10.06

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 CFPF 1,517

$9.22 $9.22

54.45%

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

$467 CFPF 49.7K

$989 $989

-52.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,465 CFPF 1.0M

$9,838 $9,838

-3.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,388

$69.4 $69.4

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 CFPF 7,763

$50.3 $50.3

45.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 CFPF 8,290

$81.3 $81.3

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 CFPF 9,410

$102 $102

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CFPF 142.9K

$327 $327

311.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 CFPF 99.7K

$201 $201

365.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CFPF 195.4K

$884 $884

107.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 CFPF 158.9K

$707 $707

110.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,135 CFPF 759.9K

$18.1K $18.1K

-60.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,632 CFPF 812.9K

$10.7K $10.7K

-28.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,195 CFPF 233.8K

$1,217 $1,217

80.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

50.00%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 3, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$936 41.1%

Pago Pago

$201 13.7% 78.5% $735

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$519 22.8%

Pago Pago

$364 24.8% 29.9% $155

Eating Out

Papeete

$281 12.4%

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.9% 85.1% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$273 12%

Pago Pago

$510 34.7% 87% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$139 6.1%

Pago Pago

$136 9.3% 1.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$113 5%

Pago Pago

$68 4.6% 39.8% $45

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Pago Pago

$147 10% 771% $130

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 $1,342 in Papeete and $327 in Pago Pago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 80% 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: $93.0 in Papeete vs $36.00 in Pago Pago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $519 vs $364 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h behind Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

11,500 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

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 = 8.37 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Papeete Pago Pago 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Pago Pago

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

Papeete vs Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Papeete. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pago Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Papeete, 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: $1,342 in Papeete versus $327 in Pago Pago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Papeete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,321 per month in Papeete versus $1,456 in Pago Pago – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,456 in Pago Pago versus $2,321 in Papeete, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pago Pago but tight or insufficient in Papeete. The gap between the two cities makes Pago Pago 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, Papeete and Pago Pago 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 Pago Pago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Papeete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.