Living in Palikir, Micronesia

Palikir is a smaller coastal city in Pohnpei State, Micronesia (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 27°C over the year with about 4,892 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,334 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Micronesia is hard to obtain.

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Est. cost
€3,334
a month for a couple
Climate
27°C
4,892 mm rain a year
Size
Smaller
under 250,000 people
Safety
67/100
country-level
Residency
Hard to obtain
for most foreigners

Limited data for Micronesia. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Micronesia are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Micronesia, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Palikir

  • Warmer than 85% of the cities we track
  • Wet: about 4,892 mm of rain a year
  • Long-term residency is hard to obtain
  • On or near the sea

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. Long-term stay realistically comes only through employer-sponsored work permits or running a business under a foreign investment permit (renewable one-year entry permits); secure permanent residency is reserved for marriage to a citizen or many years of strong ties, with no passive-income or investor residency route.

For short visits, 198 of 198 passports can enter visa-free.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Healthcare

Micronesia scores 54 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 8% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Micronesia: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

Palikir averages 27°C across the year with about 4,892 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 85% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €3,334 a month to live centrally in Palikir, 22% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 29% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Micronesia scores 67 out of 100 on safety, safer than 60% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 7.8 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Micronesia: Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025) and life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Palikir

Is Palikir a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on affordability and healthcare. Our figures for Micronesia are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, very wet climate (27°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Palikir and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Palikir?

We estimate about €3,334 a month for a couple living centrally, 22% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Micronesia, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Micronesia long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. Long-term stay realistically comes only through employer-sponsored work permits or running a business under a foreign investment permit (renewable one-year entry permits); secure permanent residency is reserved for marriage to a citizen or many years of strong ties, with no passive-income or investor residency route.

What is the weather like in Palikir?

Palikir averages 27°C across the year with about 4,892 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 85% of the cities we track.

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