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

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,643 per month in United States vs $648 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,857 per month in United States vs $1,129 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,070 per month in United States vs $1,609 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

United States costs about 308% more than Sao Tome And Principe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United States sits 97% above the global median, while Sao Tome And Principe is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

United States has a wider regional cost range ($1,343–$5,081) than Sao Tome And Principe ($209–$1,087), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$20.34 STN 427

-1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$42.40 STN 890

79.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$9.95 STN 209

14.77%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$1.98 STN 41.55

172.22%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.93 STN 40.45

32.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.04 STN 21.79

96.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.62 STN 34.00

279.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$1.84 STN 38.62

290.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.38 STN 29.07

-24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.54 STN 32.38

137.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.85 STN 38.82

155.68%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$4.37 STN 91.9

0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$19.68 STN 413

-35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$20.28 STN 426

-38.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$25.30 STN 531

-35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.52 STN 94.9

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.14 STN 23.96

44.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.95 STN 83.0

16.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.52 STN 74.0

39.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.53 STN 53.2

15.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.99 STN 41.76

57.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.72 STN 15.17

213.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.91 STN 40.15

20.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$2.35 STN 49.26

320.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$8.19 STN 172

84.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.28 STN 26.84

49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.33 STN 27.86

175.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.26 STN 26.43

96.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$14.25 STN 299

114.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.63 STN 34.15

-41.10%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$23.1K STN 484.8K

14.26%

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

$204 $204

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

$57.3 $57.3

$28.67 STN 602

99.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$72.6 STN 1,524

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$37.58 STN 789

24.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$28.44 STN 597

-22.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$20.62 STN 433

-32.88%

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

$1,384 $1,384

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$19.10 STN 401

498.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$266 STN 5,579

564.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$192 STN 4,025

661.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$671 STN 14.1K

322.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$512 STN 10.7K

371.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$1,937 STN 40.7K

69.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,177 STN 24.7K

125.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$457 STN 9,595

858.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

7.38

-11.79%

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,637 in United States vs $171 in Sao Tome And Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,591 in Washington, DC and $342 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $4,500 in United States vs $272 in Sao Tome And Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 857% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 70% more in United States.

Salaries are 1554% higher in United States, giving United States stronger purchasing power.

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 Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 396% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United States, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United States consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sao Tome And Principe, contributing to the overall 396% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome And Principe, but in 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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.