Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohnpei: $1,693 a month against $2,342 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohnpei and in Wellington

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Pohnpei versus $2,342 in Wellington.

Pohnpei $1,693
Wellington $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,562 in Pohnpei versus $3,316 in Wellington.

Pohnpei $2,562
Wellington $3,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Pohnpei versus $4,291 in Wellington.

Pohnpei $3,431
Wellington $4,291

Living in Pohnpei costs roughly 28% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pohnpei 26% above, Wellington 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 $11.61

$13.89 NZ$24.77

-16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.19 $45.19

$64.2 NZ$114

-29.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 $7.56

$8.95 NZ$15.97

-15.53%

Cappuccino

$3.05 $3.05

$3.29 NZ$5.86

-7.29%

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

$1.24 $1.24

$2.35 NZ$4.20

-47.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.67 NZ$2.98

136.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$6.75 NZ$12.04

-55.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.90 NZ$3.38

-86.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.15 NZ$3.83

54.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.82 NZ$3.24

68.13%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$6.73 NZ$12.00

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.05 NZ$16.15

-24.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$9.54 NZ$17.02

-46.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$15.30 NZ$27.29

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.16 NZ$5.64

89.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.23 NZ$3.98

58.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.97 NZ$5.29

89.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.28

Potato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.06 NZ$3.67

140.78%

Onion (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.24 NZ$2.20

313.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.99 NZ$3.55

92.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.19 NZ$2.13

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$25.37 NZ$45.25

-63.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$11.37 NZ$20.28

-73.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.76 NZ$4.92

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.74 NZ$4.89

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.82 NZ$3.24

169.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.77 NZ$3.17

-32.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$33.17 NZ$59.2

-88.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.83 NZ$3.27

100.00%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

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

$137 $137

$199 NZ$354

-31.28%

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

$40.46 $40.46

$32.79 NZ$58.5

23.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 $201

$53.5 NZ$95.4

276.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.69 $19.69

$38.58 NZ$68.8

-48.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 $51.0

$16.40 NZ$29.25

210.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.66

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

$171 $171

$1,036 NZ$1,849

-83.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 $79.7

$78.4 NZ$140

1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 $68.6

$28.23 NZ$50.4

143.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$103 NZ$184

7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 $97.0

$155 NZ$276

-37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$1,228 NZ$2,190

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 $610

$1,139 NZ$2,032

-46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$2,171 NZ$3,873

-26.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 $1,211

$1,670 NZ$2,978

-27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,252

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 $358

$2,818 NZ$5,027

-87.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

5.39

6678935.25%

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

Last update for Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohnpei

$610 36.8%

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3% 86.9% $530

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohnpei

$378 22.8%

Wellington

$285 12.1% 24.6% $93

Groceries & Markets

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8%

Wellington

$343 14.5% 16.2% $48

Eating Out

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8%

Wellington

$243 10.3% 35.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Pohnpei

$160 9.7%

Wellington

$164 7% 2.4% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2%

Wellington

$63 2.7% 219% $43

Getting Around

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9%

Wellington

$124 5.2% 723% $109

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Pohnpei and $1,228 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 687% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Pohnpei vs $64.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $343 per month, with Pohnpei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

2 h ahead of Pohnpei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,486

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Pohnpei Wellington 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohnpei
Wellington

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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohnpei is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 687% lower in Wellington. 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: $901 in Pohnpei versus $1,228 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,693 per month in Pohnpei versus $2,342 in Wellington – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,693 in Pohnpei versus $2,342 in Wellington, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pohnpei but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Pohnpei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Pohnpei and Wellington 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 Pohnpei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.