Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $1,693 in Pohnpei, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index

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Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohnpei and in Apia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Pohnpei versus $851 in Apia.

Pohnpei $1,693
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,562 in Pohnpei versus $2,281 in Apia.

Pohnpei $2,562
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Pohnpei versus $3,711 in Apia.

Pohnpei $3,431
Apia $3,711

Living in Pohnpei is roughly 99% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohnpei is 26% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 $11.61

$47.76 WST 133

-75.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.19 $45.19

$36.89 WST 103

22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 $7.56

$14.51 WST 40.39

-47.90%

Cappuccino

$3.05 $3.05

$2.93 WST 8.15

4.10%

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

$1.24 $1.24

$1.80 WST 5.01

-31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.39 WST 3.88

184.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.67 WST 10.20

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.83 WST 5.09

-86.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$0.84 WST 2.34

295.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.86 WST 5.17

64.52%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$4.15 WST 11.55

75.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$0.94 WST 2.62

624.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.67 WST 10.21

39.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$8.60 WST 23.92

34.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$5.22 WST 14.54

14.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.79 WST 4.99

97.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.87 WST 5.21

201.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

Potato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.70 WST 10.29

34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.11 WST 3.10

362.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.84 $3.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.22 WST 3.40

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$6.31 WST 17.55

46.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$16.32 WST 45.41

-81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.68 WST 10.24

-34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.57 WST 9.94

-71.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.33 WST 14.84

-7.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$5.42 WST 15.08

-77.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$21.64 WST 60.2

-81.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.06 WST 2.95

245.28%

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

$137 $137

$18.16 WST 50.6

652.09%

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

$40.46 $40.46

$18.40 WST 51.2

119.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 $201

$36.53 WST 102

450.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.69 $19.69

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 $51.0

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

$171 $171

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 $79.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 $68.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 $97.0

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 $610

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 $1,211

$1,790 WST 4,982

-32.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 $358

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

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

Last update for Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohnpei

$610 36.8%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohnpei

$378 22.8%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Pohnpei

$160 9.7%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9%

Apia

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Pohnpei vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $241 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

23:25 11:25 PM

2 h ahead of Pohnpei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,486

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.321 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.321 EUR).

WST to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pohnpei Apia 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohnpei
Apia

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

Pohnpei vs Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Pohnpei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,539 in Pohnpei and $1,277 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,693 per month in Pohnpei versus $851 in Apia – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Pohnpei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $1,693 in Pohnpei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Pohnpei. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Pohnpei and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Pohnpei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.