Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,629 in Pohnpei versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Pohnpei versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Pohnpei versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Pohnpei is roughly 29% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohnpei is 22% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 $11.47

$4.48 ฿150

156.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.20 $44.20

$45.59 ฿1,521

-3.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 $7.29

$8.76 ฿292

-16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.02 $3.02

$2.97 ฿99.0

1.68%

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

$1.22 $1.22

$0.69 ฿22.90

76.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$0.39 ฿13.04

948.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.75 ฿125

-21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.27 $0.27

$2.15 ฿71.6

-87.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.82 ฿60.6

79.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.18 ฿72.9

40.83%

Eggs

$7.08 $7.08

$2.25 ฿75.0

214.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$20.00 ฿667

-65.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.63 ฿121

39.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$13.56 ฿452

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.24 ฿108

83.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.64 ฿54.6

108.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.33 ฿77.8

129.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

Potato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.55 ฿51.6

223.87%

Onion (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.46 ฿48.54

248.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 $3.69

$0.98 ฿32.86

276.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.48 ฿16.09

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$4.35 ฿145

108.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$18.57 ฿620

-84.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.65 ฿88.6

-1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.42 ฿47.28

-28.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.17 ฿106

56.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.03 ฿34.41

18.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$13.89 ฿463

-70.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.34 ฿44.84

179.85%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$133 $133

$123 ฿4,105

8.31%

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

$39.65 $39.65

$13.77 ฿459

187.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$199 $199

$18.33 ฿611

987.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.36 $20.36

$60.7 ฿2,025

-66.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

$17.16 ฿573

191.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

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

$173 $173

$688 ฿22.9K

-74.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 $80.6

$59.3 ฿1,978

35.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 $66.9

$34.69 ฿1,157

92.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$115 ฿3,843

-5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$83.8 ฿2,794

17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 $888

$621 ฿20.7K

42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 $616

$446 ฿14.9K

38.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-19.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 $352

$494 ฿16.5K

-28.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

5.33

6754121.39%

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

Last update for Pohnpei: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Pohnpei and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Pohnpei vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $291 per month, with Pohnpei cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $888 in Pohnpei versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Pohnpei versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $44.00 in Pohnpei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,629 in Pohnpei, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pohnpei. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pohnpei, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pohnpei and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Pohnpei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.