Cost of Living Comparison Between American Samoa and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between American Samoa and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,465 per month in American Samoa vs $465 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,287 per month in American Samoa vs $741 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,109 per month in American Samoa vs $1,017 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in American Samoa is about 215% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

American Samoa sits 6% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 PGK 32.12

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 $36.55

$45.53 PGK 198

-19.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$5.70 PGK 24.74

73.68%

Cappuccino

$2.40 PGK 10.42

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

$0.80 PGK 3.49

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.69 PGK 3.00

46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 PGK 11.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.08 PGK 17.69

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.95 PGK 8.46

33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.47 PGK 6.38

95.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.42 PGK 6.17

195.07%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$3.73 PGK 16.18

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 $10.11

$6.29 PGK 27.29

60.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$5.80 PGK 25.15

73.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$9.15 PGK 39.72

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.98 PGK 17.27

53.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$3.38 PGK 14.67

-71.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.94 PGK 25.78

-48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$5.05 PGK 21.91

-18.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.73 PGK 16.19

8.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.51 PGK 10.88

56.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.80 PGK 7.82

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.02 PGK 4.44

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.30 $11.30

$6.15 PGK 26.70

83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$11.01 PGK 47.80

38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.81 PGK 12.20

-65.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.71 PGK 16.11

-21.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.47 PGK 2.04

319.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 $123

$26.44 PGK 115

366.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.20 PGK 22.56

-4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.28 PGK 9.90

-10.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$14.84 PGK 64.4

101.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.02 PGK 4.43

28.43%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

36.79%

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

$20.4K $20.4K

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

-12.86%

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

$405 $405

$96.6 PGK 419

319.34%

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

$29.78 $29.78

$27.50 PGK 119

8.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$118 PGK 514

-37.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$66.3 PGK 288

-23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 $9.98

$20.17 PGK 87.5

-50.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.92 $8.92

$8.81 PGK 38.21

1.25%

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

$984 $984

$536 PGK 2,326

83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,989 $9,989

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

76.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 $70.6

$36.70 PGK 159

92.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$31.22 PGK 136

61.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$68.6 PGK 298

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$92.9 PGK 403

7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 $320

$1,655 PGK 7,181

-80.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$460 PGK 1,996

-56.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 $915

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

-65.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 $691

$1,086 PGK 4,713

-36.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.8K $17.8K

$2,080 PGK 9,028

753.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

186.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,188 $1,188

$421 PGK 1,829

181.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

-78.05%

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

Last update for American Samoa: September 7, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $319 in American Samoa vs $787 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $319 in Pago Pago and $1,627 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $1,214 in American Samoa vs $317 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 147% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 89% more in American Samoa.

Public transport is 1450% more expensive in American Samoa.

Salaries are 283% higher in American Samoa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in American Samoa.

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

American Samoa vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 94% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in American Samoa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but American Samoa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 94% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in American Samoa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.