Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Samoa

Name: Samoa
Address: WS

For one person, living is cheaper in Samoa: $847 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Samoa
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Samoa Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇼🇸 Samoa

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Samoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in the United States versus $847 in Samoa.

United States $2,727
Samoa $847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,009 in the United States versus $2,303 in Samoa.

United States $4,009
Samoa $2,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,291 in the United States versus $3,758 in Samoa.

United States $5,291
Samoa $3,758

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $977 to $5,215, compared to $835–$835 in Samoa. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 222% more expensive than in Samoa on average.

The United States (101% above) and Samoa (37% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$46.41 WST 129

-57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$37.03 WST 103

118.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$14.81 WST 41.26

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.83 WST 7.89

97.53%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.84 WST 5.11

51.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.39 WST 3.89

51.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.54 WST 9.85

68.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$3.62 WST 10.08

118.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.77 WST 4.92

-41.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.84 WST 2.33

346.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.79 WST 4.99

149.16%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.35 WST 12.10

-0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$0.87 WST 2.43

1365.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$3.69 WST 10.26

232.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$8.54 WST 23.79

102.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.18 WST 14.42

2.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.80 WST 5.01

-7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.84 WST 5.14

134.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.40 WST 12.24

14.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.61 WST 10.06

-22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.10 WST 3.08

177.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.18 WST 3.30

99.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$6.21 WST 17.28

75.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.43 WST 45.77

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.85 WST 5.15

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.67 WST 10.22

-1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.58 WST 9.96

-31.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$5.53 WST 15.40

-35.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$5.44 WST 15.14

-65.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$21.96 WST 61.2

34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 WST 3.11

-8.93%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

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

$26.0K $26.0K

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

$221 $221

$17.83 WST 49.65

1138.42%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$18.05 WST 50.3

239.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$36.72 WST 102

99.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

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

$1,471 $1,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,794 WST 4,997

23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

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 18, 2026

Last update for Samoa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Samoa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Samoa

$240 * 28.3% 41.8% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Samoa

$73 8.6% 79.6% $283

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Samoa

$488 57.6% 49.5% $161

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Samoa

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Samoa

$47 * 5.6% 46.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Samoa

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 108% more in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇼🇸 Samoa

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

07:36 7:36 AM

17 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

200,010

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.319 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 2.79 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.13 WST (1 WST = 0.319 EUR).

WST to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Samoa 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Samoa

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 Samoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $847 per month in Samoa and $2,727 in the United States, there's a 222% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Samoa: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

In Samoa, $1,000 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: Samoa wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.