Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pohnpei

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohnpei: $1,693 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Pohnpei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Pohnpei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,693 in Pohnpei.

Austin, TX $2,704
Pohnpei $1,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,562 in Pohnpei.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pohnpei $2,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,431 in Pohnpei.

Austin, TX $5,562
Pohnpei $3,431

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 60% more expensive than in Pohnpei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Pohnpei 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.61 $11.61

74.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$45.19 $45.19

88.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.56 $7.56

63.36%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.05 $3.05

79.34%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.24 $1.24

208.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.95 $3.95

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.03 $3.03

196.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.25 $0.25

352.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.32 $3.32

13.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.06 $3.06

6.21%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.30 $7.30

-43.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.81 $6.81

92.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.13 $5.13

178.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.53 $11.53

38.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.98 $5.98

-26.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.54 $3.54

-59.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.64 $5.64

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.96 $4.96

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$5.13 $5.13

-54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.84 $3.84

-54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.02 $1.02

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.22 $9.22

6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$3.06 $3.06

381.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.40 $2.40

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.91 $4.91

-45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.20 $1.20

31.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.97 $3.97

788.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.66 $3.66

-72.95%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$137 $137

60.54%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$40.46 $40.46

43.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$201 $201

-66.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$19.69 $19.69

194.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$51.0 $51.0

-70.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

$171 $171

785.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$79.7 $79.7

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$68.6 $68.6

-35.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$111 $111

-23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$97.0 $97.0

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$901 $901

114.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$610 $610

108.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,599 $1,599

129.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,211 $1,211

108.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$358 $358

1325.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

360000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Pohnpei

$610 36.8% 52.1% $663

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8% 26.7% $108

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8% 48.6% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Pohnpei

$378 22.8% 9.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Pohnpei

$160 9.7% 24.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2% 77.1% $66

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9% 73.7% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $901 in Pohnpei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1326% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $45.00 in Pohnpei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $295 per month, with Pohnpei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

22:17 10:17 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

34,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Pohnpei 10,950 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pohnpei

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

Austin, TX vs Pohnpei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohnpei wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pohnpei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1326% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $901 in Pohnpei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $171 in Pohnpei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pohnpei – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,693 in Pohnpei versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pohnpei but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pohnpei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Pohnpei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pohnpei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.