Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Kiribati

Name: Kiribati
Address: KI

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiribati: $1,713 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Kiribati
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Kiribati Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇰🇮 Kiribati

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Kiribati

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,713 in Kiribati.

United States $2,734
Kiribati $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,652 in Kiribati.

United States $3,985
Kiribati $2,652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $3,590 in Kiribati.

United States $5,235
Kiribati $3,590

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,694–$1,694 in Kiribati. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 60% more expensive than in Kiribati on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, Kiribati 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$5.14 KID 7.30

289.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$28.31 KID 40.20

182.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.40 KID 14.77

13.46%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.25 KID 4.61

70.77%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.03 KID 1.46

158.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.75 KID 1.07

189.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.87 KID 5.49

58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$6.27 KID 8.90

26.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.29 KID 3.25

-54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.08 KID 2.95

72.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.45 KID 2.05

211.72%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$6.82 KID 9.69

-37.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$17.40 KID 24.71

-24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.79 KID 8.22

117.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$19.46 KID 27.64

-9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.87 KID 9.75

-22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.57 KID 5.07

-52.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$6.07 KID 8.62

-26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.61 KID 7.97

-14.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.71 KID 6.68

-36.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.09 KID 4.38

1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.27 KID 4.64

-32.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.33 KID 0.47

612.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$6.18 KID 8.78

77.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.14 KID 18.66

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.78 KID 2.52

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.45 KID 4.89

9.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.72 KID 2.44

12.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$76.1 KID 108

-21.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.16 KID 3.07

65.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.83 KID 2.59

2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.05 KID 2.91

-50.24%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$28.4K KID 40.4K

1.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.2K KID 34.4K

8.29%

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

$218 $218

$317 KID 450

-31.15%

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

$62.5 $62.5

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$3.61 KID 5.13

1962.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$35.10 KID 49.85

19.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$24.51 KID 34.81

-6.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$4.52 KID 6.41

225.22%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$270 KID 384

451.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$5,640 KID 8,009

347.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$52.1 KID 74.0

4.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$52.1 KID 74.0

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$84.3 KID 120

11.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$64.2 KID 91.2

76.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$837 KID 1,189

98.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$587 KID 834

129.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,479 KID 2,100

81.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,317 KID 1,870

64.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$4,576 KID 6,497

-28.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,434 KID 4,876

-27.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$348 KID 495

1133.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kiribati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Kiribati

$587 34.3% 56.4% $760

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Kiribati

$404 23.6% 2.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Kiribati

$320 * 18.7% 9.8% $35

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Kiribati

$150 8.8% 54.2% $178

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Kiribati

$114 6.6% 17.1% $23

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Kiribati

$94 5.5% 17.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Kiribati

$44 2.6% 38.1% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $348 in Kiribati. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 95% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 134% more in the United States.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Kiribati.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇰🇮 Kiribati

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

16 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

119,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kiribati Dollar KID $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 KID = 0.704 USD

1 KID = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KID, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇮 Kiribati Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Kiribati Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 KID (1 KID = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 KID (1 KID = 0.633 EUR).

KID to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Kiribati 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Kiribati

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

United States vs Kiribati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,713 per month in Kiribati and $2,734 in the United States, Kiribati comes out about 37% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $829 in Kiribati. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Kiribati, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Kiribati wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.