Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Pohnpei

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.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Pohnpei

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

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

Wellington $2,342
Pohnpei $1,693

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

Wellington $3,316
Pohnpei $2,562

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

Wellington $4,291
Pohnpei $3,431

Living in Wellington is roughly 38% more expensive than in Pohnpei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.77

$11.61 $11.61

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$45.19 $45.19

41.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.97

$7.56 $7.56

18.39%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$3.05 $3.05

7.87%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.20

$1.24 $1.24

89.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.98

$3.95 $3.95

-57.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.04

$3.03 $3.03

122.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$0.25 $0.25

660.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$3.32 $3.32

-35.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$3.06 $3.06

-40.52%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$12.00

$7.30 $7.30

-7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.15

$6.81 $6.81

32.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.02

$5.13 $5.13

85.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.29

$11.53 $11.53

32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$5.98 $5.98

-47.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$3.54 $3.54

-37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.29

$5.64 $5.64

-47.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.28

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$4.96 $4.96

-58.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$5.13 $5.13

-75.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$3.84 $3.84

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$1.02 $1.02

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.25

$9.22 $9.22

175.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.28

$3.06 $3.06

271.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

$2.40 $2.40

15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.89

$1.02 $1.02

168.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$4.91 $4.91

-62.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.17

$1.20 $1.20

47.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.2

$3.97 $3.97

735.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$3.66 $3.66

-50.00%

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)

$199 NZ$354

$137 $137

45.51%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.5

$40.46 $40.46

-18.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.4

$201 $201

-73.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$19.69 $19.69

95.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.25

$51.0 $51.0

-67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.66

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

$1,036 NZ$1,849

$171 $171

507.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$79.7 $79.7

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.4

$68.6 $68.6

-58.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$111 $111

-6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$97.0 $97.0

59.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,190

$901 $901

36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,032

$610 $610

86.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,873

$1,599 $1,599

35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,978

$1,211 $1,211

37.84%

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)

$2,818 NZ$5,027

$358 $358

687.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

360000

-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 Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Pohnpei

$610 36.8% 46.5% $530

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8% 14% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Pohnpei

$378 22.8% 32.7% $93

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8% 26.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Pohnpei

$160 9.7% 2.4% $3.9

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9% 87.8% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2% 68.7% $43

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 $1,228 in Wellington and $901 in Pohnpei. 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: $64.0 in Wellington vs $45.00 in Pohnpei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $295 per month, with Pohnpei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

14:49 2:49 PM

2 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

34,486

💱 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

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Between locations

Wellington Pohnpei 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Pohnpei

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 Pohnpei: 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.

Average pay runs 687% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,228 in Wellington versus $901 in Pohnpei. 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 $2,342 per month in Wellington versus $1,693 in Pohnpei – 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, Wellington and Pohnpei 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.