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 $821 per month in American Samoa vs $695 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in American Samoa vs $1,001 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,001 per month in American Samoa vs $1,306 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

American Samoa costs about 18% more than Papua New Guinea on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both American Samoa and Papua New Guinea are more affordable than the global median – American Samoa 39% lower, Papua New Guinea 48% lower.

American Samoa has a wider regional cost range ($821–$821) than Papua New Guinea ($0–$1,732), so location matters more when choosing where to live in American Samoa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$7.95 PGK 34.99

219.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.95 $6.95

$47.31 PGK 208

-85.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PGK 25.87

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$2.35 PGK 10.33

-57.02%

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

$1.23 $1.23

$0.85 PGK 3.74

44.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 PGK 3.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.93 PGK 12.89

-30.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.67 PGK 20.56

-57.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.01 PGK 8.82

30.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.53 PGK 6.72

92.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.47 PGK 6.49

198.64%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.86 PGK 16.96

15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$6.30 PGK 27.74

63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 PGK 27.99

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$9.22 PGK 40.56

21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.85

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 PGK 12.36

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 PGK 20.64

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.36

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.46

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 11.06

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 PGK 12.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.44 $11.44

$6.61 PGK 29.10

73.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$11.20 PGK 49.28

36.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 PGK 11.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.50 PGK 15.42

-17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.46 PGK 2.03

339.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.27 PGK 23.18

-6.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 PGK 10.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 PGK 74.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.11 PGK 4.89

22.52%

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

$23.6K PGK 103.8K

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

$31.0K PGK 136.3K

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

$102 PGK 450

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

$29.74 $29.74

$49.38 PGK 217

-39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$215 PGK 947

-64.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 $49.82

$63.3 PGK 278

-21.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 $10.19

$12.46 PGK 54.8

-18.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 $9.18

$9.72 PGK 42.78

-5.56%

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

$435 PGK 1,915

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 PGK 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 PGK 154

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PGK 295

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 $147

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

-95.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 $199

$487 PGK 2,143

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 $913

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$709 PGK 3,118

-1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.6K $17.6K

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

567.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

175.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,199 $1,199

$399 PGK 1,755

200.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for American Samoa: April 22, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $153 in American Samoa vs $1,993 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $153 in Pago Pago and $2,146 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $1,201 in American Samoa vs $303 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1203% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 329% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 296% higher in American Samoa, giving American Samoa stronger purchasing power.

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

American Samoa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 5% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in American Samoa, contributing to the overall 5% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in American Samoa, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

American Samoa 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.