Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,035 a month against $1,966 in Thames, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Thames outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

Jump to prices

Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thames and in Palikir

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thames and in Palikir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,966 per month in Thames vs $1,035 in Palikir, rent included.

Thames $1,966
Palikir $1,035

A couple spends around $2,999 per month in Thames vs $1,586 in Palikir, rent included.

Thames $2,999
Palikir $1,586

A family of three spends $4,032 per month in Thames vs $2,136 in Palikir, rent included.

Thames $4,032
Palikir $2,136

Thames costs about 90% more than Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Thames sits 46% above the global median, while Palikir is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

$29.96 $29.96

-53.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$45.50 $45.50

50.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 NZ$15.72

$6.06 $6.06

46.70%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.06

$2.99 $2.99

14.38%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$1.13 $1.13

78.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$1.98 $1.98

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 NZ$12.16

$1.02 $1.02

574.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 NZ$11.90

$2.03 $2.03

231.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$0.22 $0.22

750.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$2.22 $2.22

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$2.14 $2.14

-16.36%

Eggs

$6.20 NZ$10.97

$2.42 $2.42

156.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 NZ$15.55

$4.33 $4.33

103.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.11

$4.39 $4.39

120.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 NZ$29.74

$6.64 $6.64

153.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 NZ$4.95

$3.56 $3.56

-21.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$2.47 $2.47

-12.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.14

$2.22 $2.22

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 NZ$10.17

$3.02 $3.02

90.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$3.30 $3.30

-35.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.69

$2.22 $2.22

-31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.57 NZ$46.99

$18.15 $18.15

46.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 NZ$18.12

$6.91 $6.91

48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$5.02

$1.41 $1.41

101.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.98

$1.43 $1.43

136.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$0.76 $0.76

90.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.4 NZ$133

$34.40 $34.40

119.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 NZ$4.06

$6.33 $6.33

-63.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.66 $1.66

15.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 NZ$56.9

$4.93 $4.93

553.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$3.20 $3.20

-41.56%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

$3,951 $3,951

536.49%

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

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$3,951 $3,951

448.96%

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

$183 NZ$324

$39.27 $39.27

367.23%

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

$26.20 NZ$46.33

$15.02 $15.02

74.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 NZ$89.6

$270 $270

-81.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 NZ$74.0

$40.34 $40.34

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 $19.72

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 NZ$23.17

$7.09 $7.09

84.77%

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

$1,135 NZ$2,007

$116 $116

881.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

$1,687 $1,687

1039.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 NZ$140

$19.69 $19.69

302.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 NZ$70.6

$24.94 $24.94

60.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 NZ$163

$68.9 $68.9

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 NZ$197

$54.9 $54.9

103.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NZ$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 NZ$1,451

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 NZ$2,624

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 NZ$2,629

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 NZ$8,050

$852 $852

434.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,673

$704 $704

436.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 $246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Thames: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thames

$821 41.7%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Thames

$337 17.1%

Palikir

$213 20.6% 36.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thames

$260 13.2%

Palikir

$324 31.3% 24.6% $64

Eating Out

Thames

$242 12.3%

Palikir

$315 30.5% 30.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Thames

$145 7.4%

Palikir

$76 7.3% 47.8% $69

Getting Around

Thames

$93 4.7%

Palikir

$52 5% 44% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Thames

$68 3.5%

Palikir

$55 5.3% 19.9% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Thames versus $46.00 in Palikir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $213 – making Palikir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Thames

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

2 h behind Thames

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thames Palikir 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thames
Palikir

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

Thames vs Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,966 in Thames, $1,035 in Palikir – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,949 per month in Thames and $1,553 in Palikir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Thames, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Thames and $46.00 in Palikir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palikir, where all-in costs run around $1,035, than in Thames at $1,966. In Palikir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thames it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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