Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,035 a month against $1,878 in Paihia, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Paihia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
Learn more

Paihia Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
Learn more

Palikir Living Index

Jump to prices

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,878 per month in Paihia vs $1,035 in Palikir, rent included.

Paihia $1,878
Palikir $1,035

A couple spends around $2,919 per month in Paihia vs $1,586 in Palikir, rent included.

Paihia $2,919
Palikir $1,586

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Paihia vs $2,136 in Palikir, rent included.

Paihia $3,960
Palikir $2,136

Paihia costs about 81% more than Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Paihia sits 39% above the global median, while Palikir is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 NZ$24.39

$29.96 $29.96

-53.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 NZ$58.8

$45.50 $45.50

-26.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$6.06 $6.06

37.79%

Cappuccino

$3.31 NZ$5.86

$2.99 $2.99

10.70%

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

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.13 $1.13

69.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.98 $1.98

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.81

$1.02 $1.02

554.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.72

$2.03 $2.03

226.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$0.22 $0.22

745.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$2.22 $2.22

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$2.14 $2.14

-11.68%

Eggs

$6.39 NZ$11.29

$2.42 $2.42

164.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 NZ$14.89

$4.33 $4.33

94.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.13

$4.39 $4.39

120.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 NZ$30.63

$6.64 $6.64

160.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$3.56 $3.56

-20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$2.47 $2.47

-14.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.33

$2.22 $2.22

35.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 NZ$10.05

$3.02 $3.02

88.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.67

$3.30 $3.30

-36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.70

$2.22 $2.22

-31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$1.94 $1.94

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.83

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.24 NZ$48.17

$18.15 $18.15

50.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 NZ$18.37

$6.91 $6.91

50.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$1.41 $1.41

93.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$1.43 $1.43

130.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$0.76 $0.76

110.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 NZ$145

$34.40 $34.40

138.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$6.33 $6.33

-73.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.66 $1.66

20.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.30 NZ$55.4

$4.93 $4.93

534.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$3.20 $3.20

-41.56%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$3,951 $3,951

546.71%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$3,951 $3,951

466.24%

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

$184 NZ$325

$39.27 $39.27

367.28%

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

$26.10 NZ$46.16

$15.02 $15.02

73.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 NZ$89.4

$270 $270

-81.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.25 NZ$58.8

$40.34 $40.34

-17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 $19.72

Cinema Ticket

$12.74 NZ$22.53

$7.09 $7.09

79.69%

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

$1,097 NZ$1,939

$116 $116

848.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

$1,687 $1,687

1048.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 NZ$138

$19.69 $19.69

295.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 NZ$69.5

$24.94 $24.94

57.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$68.9 $68.9

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NZ$192

$54.9 $54.9

97.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 NZ$1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 NZ$1,311

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 NZ$3,187

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 NZ$2,843

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,161 NZ$7,359

$852 $852

388.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 NZ$6,376

$704 $704

412.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 $246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paihia

$742 39.5%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Paihia

$338 18%

Palikir

$213 20.6% 36.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paihia

$260 13.9%

Palikir

$324 31.3% 24.6% $64

Eating Out

Paihia

$237 12.6%

Palikir

$315 30.5% 33.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Paihia

$143 7.6%

Palikir

$76 7.3% 46.8% $67

Getting Around

Paihia

$100 5.3%

Palikir

$52 5% 48% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Paihia

$59 3.1%

Palikir

$55 5.3% 7.2% $4.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Paihia versus $46.00 in Palikir. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Paihia vs $213 in Palikir – so Palikir wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Paihia

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

2 h behind Paihia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

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 = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Paihia Palikir 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Paihia
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

Paihia vs Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,878 in Paihia, $1,035 in Palikir – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,816 per month in Paihia and $1,553 in Palikir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Paihia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Paihia and $46.00 in Palikir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palikir, where all-in costs run around $1,035, than in Paihia at $1,878. In Palikir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paihia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palikir – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palikir. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Paihia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.