Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Pago Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,479 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $1,479 in Pago Pago.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Pago Pago $1,479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $2,291 in Pago Pago.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Pago Pago $2,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $3,102 in Pago Pago.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Pago Pago $3,102

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 154% 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: Seattle, WA 178% above, Pago Pago 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$36.28 $36.28

171.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.05 $10.05

48.66%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

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

$3.23 $3.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.98 $0.98

221.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.97 $3.97

98.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.62 $2.62

-55.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.92 $2.92

81.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.41 $4.41

30.61%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.61 $4.61

6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$10.08 $10.08

100.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.08 $10.08

78.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$11.57 $11.57

101.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$6.03 $6.03

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.03 $1.03

83.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.06 $3.06

74.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.97 $3.97

65.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.09 $4.09

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.95 $3.95

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.99 $1.99

45.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.37 $11.37

7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.86 $14.86

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$0.99 $0.99

342.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.93 $2.93

101.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.02 $2.02

46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$126 $126

-13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.95 $4.95

-49.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.95 $1.95

-11.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$29.48 $29.48

0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.36 $1.36

11.03%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$30.2K $30.2K

19.89%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.7K $19.7K

30.76%

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

$289 $289

$411 $411

-29.69%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$29.94 $29.94

130.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$73.9 $73.9

14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$50.9 $50.9

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$10.12 $10.12

246.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$8.75 $8.75

105.37%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$994 $994

183.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$10.1K $10.1K

334.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$69.9 $69.9

30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$50.2 $50.2

9.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.9 $79.9

59.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$99.1 $99.1

63.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$326 $326

692.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$202 $202

859.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$901 $901

466.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$706 $706

401.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$17.5K $17.5K

-58.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$10.7K $10.7K

-54.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$1,194 $1,194

439.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

126.67%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Pago Pago

$202 13.7% 89.6% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Pago Pago

$368 24.9% 32.3% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Pago Pago

$515 34.8% 16.2% $72

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8% 89.5% $357

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Pago Pago

$135 9.1% 31.3% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Pago Pago

$149 10.1% 12.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Pago Pago

$68 4.6% 35% $37

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 $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $326 in Pago Pago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $36 in Pago Pago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $368 per month, with Pago Pago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

3 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,500 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Pago Pago 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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

Seattle, WA vs Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pago Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Seattle, WA. 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 in Seattle, WA is about 5.4 times higher, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $326 in Pago Pago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 13% less than in Pago Pago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $994 in Pago Pago. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Pago Pago wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.