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: $1,668 in Pohnpei versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Pohnpei versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Pohnpei versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Pohnpei is roughly 35% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohnpei is 25% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.42 $11.42

$4.63 ฿151

146.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.71 $44.71

$46.84 ฿1,532

-4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 $7.62

$8.84 ฿289

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$3.07 $3.07

$3.00 ฿98.0

2.33%

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

$1.28 $1.28

$0.74 ฿24.25

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$0.37 ฿11.95

970.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.61 ฿118

-15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.27 $0.27

$2.26 ฿73.9

-88.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.84 ฿60.1

76.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.24 ฿73.4

32.14%

Eggs

$7.12 $7.12

$2.32 ฿75.7

206.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$19.67 ฿643

-65.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.65 ฿119

38.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$13.10 ฿428

-13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.39 ฿111

79.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.64 ฿53.7

115.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.41 ฿79.0

130.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

Potato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.56 ฿50.9

221.79%

Onion (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.50 ฿48.94

242.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.02 ฿33.50

265.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.49 ฿16.00

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$4.45 ฿145

99.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$18.88 ฿617

-83.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.75 ฿90.1

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.40 ฿45.81

-27.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.12 ฿102

59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.00 ฿32.67

23.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$14.09 ฿461

-72.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.35 ฿44.19

166.67%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$133 $133

$125 ฿4,087

6.38%

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

$39.42 $39.42

$13.57 ฿444

190.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 $201

$18.52 ฿606

987.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.76 $19.76

$61.5 ฿2,010

-67.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.70 $49.70

$16.84 ฿551

195.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$167 $167

$698 ฿22.8K

-76.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$57.8 ฿1,889

39.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.0 $69.0

$35.24 ฿1,152

95.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$113 ฿3,699

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 $97.7

$86.4 ฿2,825

13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 $899

$616 ฿20.1K

45.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 $621

$446 ฿14.6K

39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 $1,223

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$361 $361

$524 ฿17.1K

-31.15%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $899 in Pohnpei and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Pohnpei vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $292, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 45% less. 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: $899 in Pohnpei versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Pohnpei versus $698 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 $47.00 versus $45.00 in Pohnpei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,668 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 35% less than in Pohnpei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.