Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Apia and in Port Moresby

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Apia and in Port Moresby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Apia versus $1,532 in Port Moresby.

Apia $851
Port Moresby $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Apia versus $2,418 in Port Moresby.

Apia $2,281
Port Moresby $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $3,305 in Port Moresby.

Apia $3,711
Port Moresby $3,305

Living in Apia costs roughly 44% less than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 36% below, Port Moresby is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.76 WST 133

$7.76 PGK 33.99

515.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.89 WST 103

$43.89 PGK 192

-15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 WST 40.39

$5.38 PGK 23.59

169.70%

Cappuccino

$2.93 WST 8.15

$2.44 PGK 10.69

20.08%

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

$1.80 WST 5.01

$0.77 PGK 3.38

133.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.88

$0.67 PGK 2.95

107.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

$2.91 PGK 12.74

20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.20

$3.56 PGK 15.60

3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$1.82 PGK 7.97

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.34

$1.54 PGK 6.74

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.17

$1.39 PGK 6.09

33.81%

Eggs

$4.15 WST 11.55

$3.62 PGK 15.86

14.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.62

$8.64 PGK 37.85

-89.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 WST 10.21

$5.60 PGK 24.56

-34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 WST 23.92

$9.92 PGK 43.47

-13.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 WST 14.54

$4.21 PGK 18.45

23.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$3.12 PGK 13.67

-42.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.21

$7.01 PGK 30.72

-73.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

$6.56 PGK 28.75

-33.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 WST 10.29

$3.40 PGK 14.92

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 WST 3.10

$2.92 PGK 12.79

-61.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 WST 3.40

$1.29 PGK 5.64

-5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 WST 17.55

$6.26 PGK 27.45

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 WST 45.41

$10.73 PGK 47.05

52.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$2.54 PGK 11.11

-26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.24

$3.51 PGK 15.39

4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 WST 9.94

$0.42 PGK 1.86

750.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 WST 14.84

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-1.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

$2.25 PGK 9.87

140.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 60.2

$15.47 PGK 67.8

39.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$0.94 PGK 4.13

12.77%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

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

$18.16 WST 50.6

$117 PGK 513

-84.49%

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

$18.40 WST 51.2

$22.67 PGK 99.4

-18.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 WST 102

$91.2 PGK 400

-59.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

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

$836 PGK 3,665

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,912

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 WST 4,982

$1,129 PGK 4,946

58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,918

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,882

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

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

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Apia vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $320 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

3 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Apia Port Moresby 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
Port Moresby

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

Apia vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Port Moresby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Apia and $2,298 in Port Moresby to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Apia versus $1,532 in Port Moresby – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Apia and Port Moresby 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.