Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,021 a month against $2,342 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington 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 Wellington and in Palikir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Wellington vs $1,021 in Palikir, rent included.

Wellington $2,342
Palikir $1,021

A couple spends around $3,316 per month in Wellington vs $1,593 in Palikir, rent included.

Wellington $3,316
Palikir $1,593

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Wellington vs $2,165 in Palikir, rent included.

Wellington $4,291
Palikir $2,165

Wellington costs about 129% more than Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Wellington sits 75% above the global median, while Palikir is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.74

$29.98 $29.98

-53.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$45.63 $45.63

40.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.95

$5.88 $5.88

52.21%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$2.92 $2.92

12.67%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.19

$1.13 $1.13

107.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$2.02 $2.02

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.90

$0.99 $0.99

631.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.03

$2.05 $2.05

229.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$0.22 $0.22

763.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.19 $2.19

-1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$2.14 $2.14

-14.95%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$11.99

$2.34 $2.34

187.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.13

$4.31 $4.31

109.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.01

$4.33 $4.33

120.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.27

$6.59 $6.59

132.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$3.57 $3.57

-11.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$2.48 $2.48

-10.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.28

$2.17 $2.17

36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.27

$3.06 $3.06

106.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$3.37 $3.37

-38.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$2.24 $2.24

-44.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$1.92 $1.92

3.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$1.11 $1.11

7.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.20

$18.02 $18.02

40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.26

$6.91 $6.91

64.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.65

$1.44 $1.44

120.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

$1.43 $1.43

93.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.88

$0.81 $0.81

238.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

$33.38 $33.38

205.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$6.34 $6.34

-71.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.16

$1.70 $1.70

4.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.1

$4.91 $4.91

575.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.26

$3.20 $3.20

-42.81%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

$4,053 $4,053

532.41%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

$4,073 $4,073

524.12%

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

$199 NZ$354

$39.98 $39.98

397.10%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.4

$15.26 $15.26

114.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.3

$261 $261

-79.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$41.13 $41.13

-6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.22

$20.37 $20.37

-19.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.64

$7.09 $7.09

71.23%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,847

$115 $115

798.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$1,664 $1,664

672.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$19.93 $19.93

293.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.3

$24.85 $24.85

13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$70.4 $70.4

46.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$54.8 $54.8

182.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,187

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,030

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,869

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,975

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

$843 $843

696.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,246

$694 $694

404.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,022

$252 $252

1018.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Palikir

$213 20.7% 38.1% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Palikir

$316 30.8% 10.9% $31

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Palikir

$314 30.6% 29.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Palikir

$77 7.5% 53.4% $88

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Palikir

$51 5% 58.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Palikir

$55 5.4% 12% $7.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1019% higher in Wellington, 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 $64.0 in Wellington versus $46.00 in Palikir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $213 – making Palikir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

2 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Palikir 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
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

Wellington vs Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,342 in Wellington, $1,021 in Palikir – roughly 129% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Wellington and $1,531 in Palikir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Wellington, 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 $64.0 in Wellington 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 $1,021, than in Wellington at $2,342. In Palikir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,021 in Palikir to $2,342 in Wellington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Wellington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.