Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,035 a month against $1,821 in New Plymouth, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New Plymouth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in New Plymouth
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New Plymouth Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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New Plymouth

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,821

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth and in Palikir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in New Plymouth versus $1,035 in Palikir.

New Plymouth $1,821
Palikir $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,787 in New Plymouth versus $1,586 in Palikir.

New Plymouth $2,787
Palikir $1,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in New Plymouth versus $2,136 in Palikir.

New Plymouth $3,753
Palikir $2,136

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 76% more expensive than in Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Plymouth is 35% above, Palikir is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 NZ$20.86

$29.96 $29.96

-60.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$45.50 $45.50

46.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 NZ$14.89

$6.06 $6.06

38.94%

Cappuccino

$3.31 NZ$5.85

$2.99 $2.99

10.70%

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

$2.10 NZ$3.71

$1.13 $1.13

85.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.25

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.25 NZ$9.28

$1.02 $1.02

414.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 NZ$9.75

$2.03 $2.03

171.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.58

$0.22 $0.22

563.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.21

$2.22 $2.22

-43.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 NZ$2.86

$2.14 $2.14

-24.30%

Eggs

$5.35 NZ$9.47

$2.42 $2.42

121.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 NZ$9.69

$4.33 $4.33

26.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 NZ$12.79

$4.39 $4.39

64.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$6.64 $6.64

74.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 NZ$4.33

$3.56 $3.56

-31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.36

$2.47 $2.47

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 NZ$5.22

$2.22 $2.22

32.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 NZ$11.08

$3.02 $3.02

107.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.60

$3.30 $3.30

-38.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.48

$2.22 $2.22

-36.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$1.94 $1.94

-8.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.22

$1.12 $1.12

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.05 NZ$39.00

$18.15 $18.15

21.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 NZ$14.88

$6.91 $6.91

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 NZ$5.14

$1.41 $1.41

105.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 NZ$6.65

$1.43 $1.43

162.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$0.76 $0.76

123.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 NZ$131

$34.40 $34.40

115.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 NZ$6.39

$6.33 $6.33

-42.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 $4.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$3.20 $3.20

-48.44%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.8K

$3,951 $3,951

569.11%

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

$22.6K NZ$39.9K

$3,951 $3,951

471.25%

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

$127 NZ$225

$39.27 $39.27

223.71%

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

$27.63 NZ$48.87

$15.02 $15.02

83.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.97 NZ$84.8

$270 $270

-82.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.55 NZ$75.3

$40.34 $40.34

5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 $19.72

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 NZ$14.14

$7.09 $7.09

12.83%

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

$669 NZ$1,183

$116 $116

478.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K NZ$40.2K

$1,687 $1,687

1248.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 NZ$109

$19.69 $19.69

213.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 NZ$67.8

$24.94 $24.94

53.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 NZ$155

$68.9 $68.9

27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NZ$182

$54.9 $54.9

87.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 NZ$1,612

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 NZ$1,508

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 NZ$3,040

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NZ$2,727

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,136 NZ$5,547

$852 $852

268.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,566 NZ$4,539

$704 $704

264.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,766 NZ$4,891

$246 $246

1022.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Plymouth

$853 46.8%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New Plymouth

$279 15.3%

Palikir

$213 20.6% 23.6% $66

Eating Out

New Plymouth

$212 11.7%

Palikir

$315 30.5% 48.5% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Plymouth

$203 11.1%

Palikir

$324 31.3% 59.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

New Plymouth

$131 7.2%

Palikir

$76 7.3% 42% $55

Getting Around

New Plymouth

$85 * 4.7%

Palikir

$52 5% 38.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

New Plymouth

$59 3.2%

Palikir

$55 5.3% 6.9% $4

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

Cost Breakdown

New Plymouth pays 1022% 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: $67.0 in New Plymouth vs $46.00 in Palikir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $213 per month, with Palikir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 New Plymouth

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

2 h behind New Plymouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,400

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Plymouth Palikir 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

New Plymouth
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

New Plymouth vs Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth and Palikir differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,821 vs $1,035 including rent). Palikir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1022% higher in New Plymouth, 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 116% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $669 in New Plymouth versus $116 in Palikir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,035 in Palikir versus $1,821 in New Plymouth, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palikir but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. 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, New Plymouth 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 76% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.