Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,021 a month against $1,821 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,821

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dunedin and in Palikir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Dunedin versus $1,021 in Palikir.

Dunedin $1,821
Palikir $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,717 in Dunedin versus $1,593 in Palikir.

Dunedin $2,717
Palikir $1,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,613 in Dunedin versus $2,165 in Palikir.

Dunedin $3,613
Palikir $2,165

Living in Dunedin is roughly 78% more expensive than in Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dunedin is 36% above, Palikir is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.73 NZ$24.47

$29.98 $29.98

-54.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 NZ$110

$45.63 $45.63

35.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 NZ$20.35

$5.88 $5.88

94.22%

Cappuccino

$3.23 NZ$5.75

$2.92 $2.92

10.62%

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

$2.08 NZ$3.71

$1.13 $1.13

84.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.72

$2.02 $2.02

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 NZ$12.21

$0.99 $0.99

591.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 NZ$10.72

$2.05 $2.05

193.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NZ$3.88

$0.22 $0.22

890.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.46

$2.19 $2.19

-11.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.12

$2.14 $2.14

-18.22%

Eggs

$5.83 NZ$10.39

$2.34 $2.34

149.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 NZ$14.52

$4.31 $4.31

89.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.80

$4.33 $4.33

117.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 NZ$29.49

$6.59 $6.59

151.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.12

$3.57 $3.57

-19.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.17

$2.48 $2.48

-5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.52

$2.17 $2.17

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NZ$8.99

$3.06 $3.06

64.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$3.37 $3.37

-45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$2.24 $2.24

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 NZ$4.24

$1.92 $1.92

23.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.99

$1.11 $1.11

-50.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.93 NZ$37.29

$18.02 $18.02

16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 NZ$15.81

$6.91 $6.91

28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

$1.44 $1.44

120.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.22

$1.43 $1.43

-13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$0.81 $0.81

34.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 NZ$121

$33.38 $33.38

103.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 NZ$10.08

$6.34 $6.34

-10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 NZ$49.83

$4.91 $4.91

469.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$3.05

$3.20 $3.20

-46.56%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.8K

$4,053 $4,053

520.11%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.6K

$4,073 $4,073

514.78%

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

$111 NZ$197

$39.98 $39.98

176.79%

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

$28.28 NZ$50.4

$15.26 $15.26

85.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 NZ$91.0

$261 $261

-80.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.05 NZ$85.6

$41.13 $41.13

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 $20.37

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 NZ$18.58

$7.09 $7.09

47.11%

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

$591 NZ$1,053

$115 $115

412.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,664 $1,664

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 NZ$102

$19.93 $19.93

188.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 NZ$61.5

$24.85 $24.85

38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NZ$165

$70.4 $70.4

31.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$236

$54.8 $54.8

141.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 NZ$1,561

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,338

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 NZ$2,627

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 NZ$2,049

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 $843

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,256 NZ$4,019

$694 $694

224.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,455 NZ$4,375

$252 $252

874.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Dunedin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dunedin

$751 41.8%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Dunedin

$320 17.8%

Palikir

$213 20.7% 33.6% $108

Eating Out

Dunedin

$246 13.7%

Palikir

$314 30.6% 27.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dunedin

$190 10.6%

Palikir

$316 30.8% 66.3% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Dunedin

$143 7.9%

Palikir

$77 7.5% 46.4% $66

Getting Around

Dunedin

$78 * 4.4%

Palikir

$51 5% 34.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Dunedin

$69 3.8%

Palikir

$55 5.4% 19.8% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Dunedin pays 875% 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: $62.0 in Dunedin vs $46.00 in Palikir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $213 per month, with Palikir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

2 h behind Dunedin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dunedin Palikir 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dunedin
Palikir

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

Dunedin vs Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Palikir differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,821 vs $1,021 including rent). Palikir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 875% higher in Dunedin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

A monthly transit pass in Palikir runs roughly 104% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $591 in Dunedin versus $115 in Palikir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,021 in Palikir versus $1,821 in Dunedin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palikir but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Palikir 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, Dunedin and Palikir 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 Palikir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.