Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Principe and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Tome and Principe: $1,206 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome and Principe
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Sao Tome and Principe Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,206

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Tome and Principe and in the United States

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Sao Tome and Principe $1,206
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $1,890 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Sao Tome and Principe $1,890
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Sao Tome and Principe $2,575
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Sao Tome and Principe ($199–$1,211), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sao Tome and Principe is roughly 56% lower than in the United States on average.

Sao Tome and Principe sits 11% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 STN 195

$20.03 $20.03

-55.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.95 STN 967

$80.0 $80.0

-45.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 STN 189

$11.80 $11.80

-27.12%

Cappuccino

$2.40 STN 52.7

$5.55 $5.55

-56.76%

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

$1.81 STN 39.89

$2.66 $2.66

-31.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 STN 24.76

$2.17 $2.17

-47.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 STN 38.32

$6.12 $6.12

-71.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 STN 41.45

$7.94 $7.94

-76.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 STN 33.69

$1.04 $1.04

47.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 STN 33.44

$3.59 $3.59

-57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 STN 41.10

$4.52 $4.52

-58.63%

Eggs

$4.40 STN 96.7

$4.28 $4.28

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.33 STN 425

$13.22 $13.22

46.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.32 STN 425

$12.60 $12.60

53.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 STN 464

$17.60 $17.60

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 STN 83.6

$5.30 $5.30

-28.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 STN 38.65

$1.69 $1.69

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 STN 78.8

$4.44 $4.44

-19.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 STN 78.0

$4.77 $4.77

-25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 STN 63.2

$2.97 $2.97

-3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 STN 52.4

$3.15 $3.15

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 STN 11.68

$2.20 $2.20

-75.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 STN 45.40

$2.35 $2.35

-12.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 STN 48.09

$10.98 $10.98

-80.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 STN 176

$15.05 $15.05

-46.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 STN 32.25

$2.06 $2.06

-28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 STN 36.91

$3.79 $3.79

-55.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 STN 29.52

$1.94 $1.94

-30.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 STN 36.10

$3.58 $3.58

-54.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 STN 58.6

$1.88 $1.88

41.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.81 STN 304

$29.84 $29.84

-53.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 STN 38.37

$1.02 $1.02

70.59%

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

$24.4K STN 535.9K

$28.8K $28.8K

-15.29%

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

$31.6K STN 694.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

20.43%

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

$224 STN 4,934

$218 $218

2.89%

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

$30.91 STN 680

$62.5 $62.5

-50.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 STN 1,447

$74.5 $74.5

-11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 STN 750

$41.86 $41.86

-18.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.43 STN 560

$22.81 $22.81

11.49%

Cinema Ticket

$20.50 STN 451

$14.70 $14.70

39.46%

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

$228 STN 5,021

$1,489 $1,489

-84.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,158 STN 47.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-91.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.2 STN 1,653

$42.71 $42.71

75.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.67 STN 411

$114 $114

-83.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 STN 6,339

$1,659 $1,659

-82.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 STN 4,300

$1,348 $1,348

-85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 STN 20.2K

$2,682 $2,682

-65.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 STN 9,606

$2,169 $2,169

-79.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,861 STN 40.9K

$3,283 $3,283

-43.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 STN 24.8K

$2,482 $2,482

-54.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 STN 9,709

$4,296 $4,296

-89.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

6.55

12.67%

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

Last update for Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Tome and Principe

$402 33.3%

United States

$415 15.2% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Tome and Principe

$321 26.6%

United States

$355 13% 10.6% $34

Accommodation & Living

Sao Tome and Principe

$195 16.2%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 589% $1.2K

Eating Out

Sao Tome and Principe

$150 12.4%

United States

$328 12% 119% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Tome and Principe

$75 6.2%

United States

$71 2.6% 5.1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Tome and Principe

$42 * 3.5%

United States

$137 5% 225% $95

Getting Around

Sao Tome and Principe

$20 * 1.7%

United States

$80 2.9% 294% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $288 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $288 in Sao Tome and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $259 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 463% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 79% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 18 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

4 h behind Sao Tome and Principe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

204,327

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.55 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to STN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Tome and Principe United States 10,330 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Tome and Principe
United States

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

Sao Tome and Principe vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome and Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $288 in Sao Tome and Principe.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome and Principe, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sao Tome and Principe is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.