Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Sao Tome and Principe
Address: ST

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Tome and Principe: $1,206 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome and Principe
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Sao Tome and Principe Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Sao Tome and Principe

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 Sao Tome and Principe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

United States $2,734
Sao Tome and Principe $1,206

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,890 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

United States $3,985
Sao Tome and Principe $1,890

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,575 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

United States $5,235
Sao Tome and Principe $2,575

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Sao Tome and Principe ($199–$1,211), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 127% higher than in Sao Tome and Principe on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Sao Tome and Principe is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$8.86 STN 195

126.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$43.95 STN 967

82.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.60 STN 189

37.21%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.40 STN 52.7

131.25%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.81 STN 39.89

46.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.13 STN 24.76

92.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.74 STN 38.32

251.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.88 STN 41.45

322.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.53 STN 33.69

-32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.52 STN 33.44

136.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.87 STN 41.10

141.71%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.40 STN 96.7

-2.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$19.33 STN 425

-31.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$19.32 STN 425

-34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$21.09 STN 464

-16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.80 STN 83.6

39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.76 STN 38.65

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.58 STN 78.8

24.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.54 STN 78.0

34.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.87 STN 63.2

3.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.38 STN 52.4

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.53 STN 11.68

315.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.06 STN 45.40

14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$2.19 STN 48.09

401.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.98 STN 176

88.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.47 STN 32.25

40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.68 STN 36.91

125.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.34 STN 29.52

44.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.64 STN 36.10

118.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.66 STN 58.6

-29.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$13.81 STN 304

116.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.74 STN 38.37

-41.38%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$24.4K STN 535.9K

18.05%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.6K STN 694.4K

-16.97%

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

$218 $218

$224 STN 4,934

-2.80%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$30.91 STN 680

102.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$65.8 STN 1,447

13.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$34.11 STN 750

22.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$25.43 STN 560

-10.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$20.50 STN 451

-28.29%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$228 STN 5,021

552.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$2,158 STN 47.5K

1070.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$75.2 STN 1,653

-43.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$18.67 STN 411

508.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$288 STN 6,339

475.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$195 STN 4,300

589.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$920 STN 20.2K

191.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$437 STN 9,606

396.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,861 STN 40.9K

76.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,125 STN 24.8K

120.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$441 STN 9,709

873.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

7.38

-11.25%

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 Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Sao Tome and Principe

$195 16.2% 85.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Sao Tome and Principe

$402 33.3% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Sao Tome and Principe

$321 26.6% 9.6% $34

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Sao Tome and Principe

$150 12.4% 54.4% $178

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Sao Tome and Principe

$42 * 3.5% 69.2% $95

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Sao Tome and Principe

$20 * 1.7% 74.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Sao Tome and Principe

$75 6.2% 5.4% $3.8

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $288 in Sao Tome and Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $288 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $259 in Sao Tome and Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 463% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 79% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 18 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

4 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

204,327

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 STN = 4.55 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

STN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Sao Tome and Principe 10,330 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Sao Tome and Principe

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

Sao Tome and Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $288 in Sao Tome and Principe.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome and Principe, but in the 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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.