Is American Samoa expensive?

Yes, American Samoa is expensive, and more so than most people expect from a small Pacific territory. CostLiving puts it at $2,385 a month on a budget and $3,975 at the moderate tier for a single person, higher than a lot of the mainland US and well above neighbouring independent island nations. The reason is isolation. Almost everything beyond local fish, taro, and a few island-grown staples has to be shipped in across a long Pacific route, so packaged food, household goods, vehicles, fuel, and building materials all carry a heavy freight premium by the time they reach the shelves in Pago Pago. Imported groceries in particular land far above US supermarket prices. Housing is the one line that runs cheaper than the mainland, since demand is small and local, which softens the overall figure a little, but it does not offset the cost of everything that arrives by boat. Utilities and fuel are also on the high side because power generation leans on imported diesel. So while wages and some services are modest, the day-to-day cost of consuming anything not grown or caught locally makes the territory a pricey place to live. Full tier breakdown on our American Samoa cost of living page.