Cost of Living inApia, Samoa
Image credit: MBPilot
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Samoa: $7,686/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 46% higher than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Apia. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Apia is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Samoa.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedLow out-of-pocket burden help, but coverage looks thinner and doctor staffing is lighter.
Public care
LimitedRelatively low patient cost-sharing help, but public coverage looks thinner and country-level outcomes are weaker.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
62/100
2023
Physicians
0.56/1k
2021
Hospital beds
0.95/1k
2005
Out of pocket
13%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
71.8 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
101/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
5.8/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Samoa yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2022 annual wages in Apia, Samoa · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Apia compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.6x further in Apia than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Samoa here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Apia cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Apia is more expensive overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 46% more expensive than the global benchmark (New York City) for Apia. We are using the country-level cost index for Samoa here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Apia compare with New York City?
Rent in Apia is about 100% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Samoa here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Apia?
Groceries in Apia are about 100% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 100% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Samoa here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Apia
Apia is the capital of Samoa, with about 40,000 residents on the northern coast of Upolu and serving as the country's political, commercial, and port center. The local economy combines government, port activity, services, fisheries, tourism, and a major reliance on remittances from the Samoan diaspora, particularly in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Samoan and English are both official languages, with English widely functional in business and government, making Samoa one of the more linguistically accessible Pacific destinations for English speakers. The climate is tropical with a wet season from November to April that includes cyclone risk. Faleolo International Airport provides regional flights. Apia suits relocators with Pacific diplomatic, regional organization, aid, or specific diaspora ties rather than independent migration.
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