Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $1,693 in Pohnpei, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohnpei and in Bali

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 Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,693 per month in Pohnpei vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Pohnpei $1,693
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Pohnpei vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Pohnpei $2,562
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $3,431 per month in Pohnpei vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Pohnpei $3,431
Bali $2,904

Pohnpei costs about 38% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Pohnpei sits 26% above the global median, while Bali is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 $11.61

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

323.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.19 $45.19

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

52.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 $7.56

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

59.49%

Cappuccino

$3.05 $3.05

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

37.39%

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

$1.24 $1.24

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-9.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

498.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

-82.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

53.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

173.21%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

270.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

-58.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

41.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

77.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

142.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

162.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

Potato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

175.56%

Onion (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

129.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.84 $3.84

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

308.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.48 Rp 8,577

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

330.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

-86.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.26 Rp 4,661

292.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$0.44 Rp 7,853

1015.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.42 Rp 7,491

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

-29.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.66 $3.66

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

306.67%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

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

$137 $137

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

70.62%

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

$40.46 $40.46

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

510.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 $201

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

997.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.69 $19.69

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

-56.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 $51.0

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

234.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

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

$171 $171

$442 Rp 7.9M

-61.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 $79.7

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

80.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 $68.6

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

101.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

43.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 $97.0

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$994 Rp 17.8M

-9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 $610

$588 Rp 10.5M

3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

-48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 $1,211

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

-19.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 $358

$223 Rp 4.0M

60.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

13.78

2612381.86%

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

Last update for Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohnpei

$610 36.8%

Bali

$588 48% 3.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohnpei

$378 22.8%

Bali

$105 8.6% 72.2% $273

Groceries & Markets

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8%

Bali

$274 22.4% 7.1% $21

Eating Out

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8%

Bali

$89 7.3% 50.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Pohnpei

$160 9.7%

Bali

$104 8.5% 35.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2%

Bali

$53 4.3% 169% $33

Getting Around

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9%

Bali

$12 1% 22.4% $3.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Pohnpei versus $994 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Pohnpei, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Pohnpei versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $274 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

13:14 1:14 PM

3 h behind Pohnpei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pohnpei Bali 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohnpei
Bali

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 Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohnpei costs about 38% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,539 per month in Pohnpei and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,693 in Pohnpei and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $171 per month in Pohnpei and $442 in Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Pohnpei at $1,693. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pohnpei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $1,693 in Pohnpei. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pohnpei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.