Samoa

How much does a trip to Samoa cost? Daily budget and prices

Plan on WST 140–260 (about US$50–95) per person per day backpacking, WST 340–630 mid-range and WST 960+ in comfort, flights excluded. Beach fale with meals, buses and village fees keep costs low; a hire car, resort rooms and Apia restaurants push them up. Carry cash for fale, buses and village fees.

Not field-verified

Source checked: A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
Field checked: Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
Plan calculated: Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Updated Sep 20265 min read

GuideSamoa

Key facts

Currency: Samoan tala (WST); cards in Apia hotels and larger businesses, cash elsewhere
Backpacker day: WST 140–260 per person (fale with meals, buses, fees)
Mid-range day: WST 340–630 per person (hotel or bungalow, car share, restaurants)
Comfort day: WST 960–1,680 per person (resort, private tours)
Beach fale with breakfast and dinner: WST 90–150 per person
Meal in Apia (oka, fish and chips): WST 15–30
Vailima beer: WST 6–12
Bus ride: WST 2–10
Savai'i ferrycheck: About WST 15 per passenger one way; car about WST 100–150 each way
Tipping: Not customary

Budget by travel style

Samoa has three clear price levels, and the gap between them is mostly accommodation and transport. Beach fale with meals included, public buses and village fees sit at the bottom. A hotel or beach bungalow, a share of a hire car and restaurant meals sit in the middle. Resorts and private tours sit at the top.

Figures below are per person per day, sharing at mid-range and comfort, flights excluded. 2026 estimate.

Budget by travel style
Style	Bed	Food	Transport	Sights	Extras	Total per day
Backpacker	WST 90–150	WST 20–40	WST 10–20	WST 10–30	WST 10–20	WST 140–260
Mid-range	WST 150–300	WST 80–130	WST 60–100	WST 30–60	WST 20–40	WST 340–630
Comfort	WST 500–900	WST 180–280	WST 150–250	WST 80–150	WST 50–100	WST 960–1,680

Per person per day, 2026 estimate. Flights excluded.

What things cost

The everyday items that decide your daily spend are the fale, the meal and the ride. A beach fale with breakfast and dinner is the single best-value bed in the country, and it usually removes two meals from your budget at once. Eating in Apia costs more than eating at a village fale, but still less than a resort restaurant.

Village beach and pool fees are customary and fund the community, so treat them as a fixed line in your budget rather than a negotiable one. Entry to To Sua Ocean Trench is the best-known paid sight on Upolu.

What things cost
Item	Price
Beach fale with breakfast and dinner	WST 90–150 per person
Oka or fish and chips in Apia	WST 15–30
Vailima beer	WST 6–12
To Sua Ocean Trench entry	About WST 20
Village beach or pool fee	WST 5–20
Bus ride	WST 2–10

2026 estimate, per person.

Transport costs

Public buses are the cheapest way to move around Upolu and Savai'i, at WST 2–10 a ride, but they run on village timetables and stop early. A hire car costs more per day but splits between passengers and lets you reach beaches and waterfalls on your own schedule; it is the usual choice for mid-range travellers.

Crossing to Savai'i by car ferry is a real cost line: about WST 15 per passenger one way, and roughly WST 100–150 to take a car each way (check current fares and sailing times). If you are staying a week or more, the car usually pays for itself against taxis and tours.

Buses: WST 2–10 per ride, cash, limited evening service
Hire car: best value shared between two or more people
Savai'i ferry: about WST 15 per passenger one way (check)
Car on the ferry: about WST 100–150 each way (check)

Cash, cards and tipping

The currency is the Samoan tala (WST). Cards work at hotels and larger businesses in Apia, but village fees, markets, buses and beach fale are cash. ATMs are in Apia and a few towns, and Savai'i has very few, so take enough cash across with you for the whole stay.

Tipping is not customary. Rounding up or leaving a small amount for good service is fine but never expected.

Draw cash in Apia before crossing to Savai'i
Keep small notes for village fees and buses
Cards: hotels and larger Apia businesses
Tipping: not customary

How to spend less

The cheapest trip to Samoa is built on fale and buses. Staying in beach fale with meals included, eating where you sleep, and using public buses on Upolu can hold a day near the bottom of the backpacker band. Village fees are small and worth paying.

The main ways to overspend are a hire car used by one person, resort restaurants for every meal, and taxis for every transfer. If you want a car, share it and base yourself in one area rather than touring both islands in a week.

Sleep in beach fale with meals included
Eat at your fale or in Apia rather than resorts
Use buses on Upolu; take a car only when shared
Stay longer in one place instead of paying for two transfers

When costs rise

Peak season and the school holidays push room rates up, and the Christmas and New Year period is the most expensive window. Sundays are quiet: many businesses close, transport thins out, and you should plan to eat where you are staying.

Check the best time to visit page before you book, and confirm ferry and car-hire prices close to your dates, as both move with fuel costs (check).

Questions people ask

How much money do you need per day in Samoa?

Backpackers spending on beach fale, buses and village fees need about WST 140–260 per person per day. Mid-range travellers with a hotel or bungalow, a shared hire car and restaurant meals need WST 340–630. Comfort travel with a resort and private tours runs WST 960–1,680. Flights are excluded.

Is Samoa expensive for tourists?

It is mid-priced by Pacific standards. Beach fale with meals included are good value and buses are cheap, but imported food, resort rooms and hire cars are the costs that add up. Budget travellers can keep a day near WST 140; resort travellers should expect WST 960 or more.

What do meals, hotels and transport cost in Samoa?

A beach fale with breakfast and dinner is WST 90–150 per person. A meal such as oka or fish and chips in Apia is WST 15–30, and a Vailima beer is WST 6–12. Buses cost WST 2–10 a ride, and the Savai'i ferry is about WST 15 per passenger one way (check).

Do I need cash in Samoa?

Yes, for much of the country. Cards work at hotels and larger businesses in Apia, but village fees, markets, buses and beach fale are cash. ATMs are in Apia and a few towns, and Savai'i has very few, so draw enough before you cross.

Should I tip in Samoa?

No. Tipping is not customary. Rounding up or leaving a small amount for good service is welcome but never expected.

How much does the Savai'i ferry cost?

About WST 15 per passenger one way, and roughly WST 100–150 to take a car each way (check current fares). Taking a car pays off if you are staying several nights and want to reach beaches on your own schedule.

Deep dive

Every source; changeable facts are marked check