Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Hastings

For one person, living costs are similar in Pohnpei and in Hastings: $1,667 and $1,731 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index

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Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,667

/mo nomad

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohnpei and in Hastings

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

A single person spends $1,667 per month in Pohnpei vs $1,731 in Hastings, rent included.

Pohnpei $1,667
Hastings $1,731

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Pohnpei vs $2,526 in Hastings, rent included.

Pohnpei $2,527
Hastings $2,526

A family of three spends $3,388 per month in Pohnpei vs $3,322 in Hastings, rent included.

Pohnpei $3,388
Hastings $3,322

Pohnpei is about 4% cheaper than Hastings, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Pohnpei and Hastings sit above the global median – Pohnpei by 23%, Hastings by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 $11.38

$11.05 NZ$19.55

2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.31 $44.31

$55.7 NZ$98.5

-20.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 $7.36

$9.05 NZ$16.00

-18.67%

Cappuccino

$2.94 $2.94

$3.06 NZ$5.41

-3.92%

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

$1.26 $1.26

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-32.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.36 NZ$2.41

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 NZ$7.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$5.51 NZ$9.75

-45.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.41 NZ$2.50

-82.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.29 NZ$2.28

163.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.72 NZ$3.05

80.23%

Eggs

$7.27 $7.27

$5.45 NZ$9.64

33.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$5.72 NZ$10.11

21.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.30 NZ$12.90

-33.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 $11.31

$11.45 NZ$20.26

-1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.66 NZ$4.71

118.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.92 NZ$3.40

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.06 NZ$5.42

78.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.81 NZ$3.21

181.77%

Onion (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.05 NZ$1.85

371.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.45 NZ$2.56

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.91 NZ$1.60

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 $8.98

$17.62 NZ$31.16

-49.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$9.08 NZ$16.06

-67.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$7.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.91 NZ$5.14

-17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.71 NZ$4.79

-62.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 NZ$145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.65 NZ$6.46

38.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.75 NZ$4.87

-55.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$33.32 NZ$58.9

-87.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.60 NZ$2.82

138.13%

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

$27.0K NZ$47.7K

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

$22.7K NZ$40.1K

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

$134 $134

$190 NZ$335

-29.42%

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

$39.58 $39.58

$36.05 NZ$63.8

9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$200 $200

$59.6 NZ$105

235.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.18 $20.18

$27.98 NZ$49.48

-27.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.10 $49.10

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 NZ$17.55

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

$168 $168

$679 NZ$1,200

-75.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 $78.4

$46.05 NZ$81.4

70.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 $69.2

$37.74 NZ$66.7

83.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$94.8 NZ$168

16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 $97.9

$90.8 NZ$161

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$806 NZ$1,426

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 $630

$703 NZ$1,243

-10.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,519 NZ$2,687

4.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 $1,208

$1,129 NZ$1,997

6.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,051 NZ$8,933

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,061 NZ$5,414

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 $349

$1,589 NZ$2,810

-78.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

6.83

5270763.84%

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

Last update for Pohnpei: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hastings: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohnpei

$630 37.8%

Hastings

$703 40.6% 11.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohnpei

$373 22.4%

Hastings

$285 16.5% 23.6% $88

Groceries & Markets

Pohnpei

$292 * 17.5%

Hastings

$266 15.4% 9.1% $27

Eating Out

Pohnpei

$176 * 10.6%

Hastings

$198 11.4% 12.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Pohnpei

$160 9.6%

Hastings

$121 7% 24.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2%

Hastings

$48 2.8% 137% $28

Getting Around

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9%

Hastings

$110 6.4% 624% $95

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $907 in Pohnpei versus $806 in Hastings. 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 355% higher in Hastings, 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 $44.00 in Pohnpei versus $56.0 in Hastings. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Pohnpei vs $266 in Hastings – so Hastings wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🇳🇿 Hastings

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

2 h ahead of Pohnpei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,486

50,100

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pohnpei Hastings 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohnpei
Hastings

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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 4% more than Pohnpei, 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 $2,500 per month in Pohnpei and $2,596 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Pohnpei and $56.0 in Hastings. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Hastings – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Pohnpei, where all-in costs run around $1,667, than in Hastings at $1,731. In Pohnpei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pohnpei – 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 Pohnpei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.