Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and the Marshall Islands

Name: Marshall Islands
Address: MH

For one person, living is cheaper in the Marshall Islands: $2,125 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
101

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in the Marshall Islands

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 the Marshall Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $2,125 in the Marshall Islands.

United States $2,734
Marshall Islands $2,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,968 in the Marshall Islands.

United States $3,985
Marshall Islands $2,968

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $3,812 in the Marshall Islands.

United States $5,235
Marshall Islands $3,812

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $2,143–$2,143 in the Marshall Islands. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 29% more expensive than in the Marshall Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, the Marshall Islands 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$7.58 $7.58

164.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$30.13 $30.13

165.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.49 $10.49

12.49%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.44 $4.44

25.00%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.86 $1.86

43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.04 $3.04

-28.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.58 $4.58

33.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.13 $5.13

54.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.24 $2.24

-53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.42 $3.42

4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.85 $1.85

144.32%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$5.11 $5.11

-16.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$30.62 $30.62

-56.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$10.81 $10.81

16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$18.31 $18.31

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.43 $4.43

19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$7.20 $7.20

-76.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$8.65 $8.65

-48.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$12.96 $12.96

-63.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$5.19 $5.19

-42.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.63 $5.63

-44.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.86 $3.86

-43.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.88 $1.88

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$6.15 $6.15

78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.82 $9.82

53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.39 $2.39

58.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.08 $3.08

-37.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.79 $2.79

28.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$5.11 $5.11

483.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.78 $1.78

-42.70%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

13.58%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.3K $34.3K

-23.67%

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

$218 $218

$252 $252

-13.59%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$37.24 $37.24

67.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$73.1 $73.1

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$37.89 $37.89

10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

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

$1,489 $1,489

$152 $152

881.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$2,612 $2,612

866.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$70.9 $70.9

-23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$39.81 $39.81

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$29.60 $29.60

217.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$49.47 $49.47

129.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$766 $766

116.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$886 $886

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,342 $1,342

99.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,284 $1,284

68.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$988 $988

334.93%

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 the Marshall Islands: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Marshall Islands

$886 41.7% 34.2% $461

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Marshall Islands

$539 * 25.4% 29.8% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Marshall Islands

$363 17.1% 2.2% $7.6

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Marshall Islands

$198 9.3% 39.6% $130

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Marshall Islands

$85 4% 37.7% $52

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7% 81.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Marshall Islands

$38 * 1.8% 46.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $782 in the Marshall Islands. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $782 in Majuro.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $1,004 in the Marshall Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 150% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 4.5 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

20:48 8:48 PM

16 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

53,127

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

United States Marshall Islands 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Marshall Islands

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 Marshall Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,125 per month in the Marshall Islands and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 29% gap. 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 $782 in the Marshall Islands. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the Marshall Islands, $2,500 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: the Marshall Islands wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.