Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $840 a month against $1,806 in Ashburton, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Ashburton
Learn more

Ashburton Living Index

Jump to prices

Ashburton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,806

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashburton and in Lae

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Ashburton vs $840 in Lae, rent included.

Ashburton $1,806
Lae $840

A couple spends around $2,897 per month in Ashburton vs $1,503 in Lae, rent included.

Ashburton $2,897
Lae $1,503

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Ashburton vs $2,166 in Lae, rent included.

Ashburton $3,987
Lae $2,166

Ashburton costs about 115% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Ashburton sits 34% above the global median, while Lae is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

$24.73 PGK 108

-43.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 NZ$120

$52.0 PGK 228

30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 NZ$15.65

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.77

$2.71 PGK 11.87

20.30%

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

$2.32 NZ$4.10

$0.76 PGK 3.34

205.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$0.58 PGK 2.53

212.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 NZ$12.19

$3.32 PGK 14.51

107.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$5.36 PGK 23.46

26.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$1.95 PGK 8.55

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NZ$3.32

$1.48 PGK 6.48

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.64

$1.26 PGK 5.52

19.05%

Eggs

$5.80 NZ$10.26

$4.05 PGK 17.74

43.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.23

$9.34 PGK 40.89

-19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$16.53

$9.34 PGK 40.88

0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 NZ$23.96

$10.59 PGK 46.37

27.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$4.40 PGK 19.24

-44.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.78 PGK 12.16

-28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$6.13 PGK 26.82

-55.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.37

$1.62 PGK 7.08

87.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$3.51 PGK 15.39

-57.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$2.28 PGK 9.99

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.83

$0.65 PGK 2.85

233.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NZ$2.33

$0.86 PGK 3.76

53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 NZ$42.70

$6.63 PGK 29.01

264.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$12.12 PGK 53.1

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$2.60 PGK 11.39

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NZ$7.53

$4.33 PGK 18.94

-1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 NZ$2.86

$0.35 PGK 1.54

362.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NZ$132

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 NZ$4.38

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.91 NZ$49.35

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$1.04 PGK 4.55

85.58%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

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

$156 NZ$276

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

$22.75 NZ$40.23

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 NZ$78.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 NZ$71.0

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 NZ$19.66

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

$659 NZ$1,165

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K NZ$38.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 NZ$102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 NZ$70.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,792

$447 PGK 1,956

126.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 NZ$1,317

$269 PGK 1,176

177.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 NZ$2,506

$1,248 PGK 5,465

13.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 NZ$2,830

$619 PGK 2,711

158.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,546 NZ$8,039

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 NZ$5,479

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$154 PGK 674

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

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

Last update for Ashburton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashburton

$745 41.2%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Ashburton

$300 16.6%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Ashburton

$242 13.4%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburton

$223 12.3%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburton

$143 7.9%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Ashburton

$92 5.1%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburton

$62 3.5%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Ashburton versus $447 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashburton versus $52.0 in Lae. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Ashburton vs $307 in Lae – so Ashburton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Ashburton

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

3 h behind Ashburton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,500

250,948

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashburton Lae 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashburton
Lae

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

Ashburton vs Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Ashburton, $840 in Lae – roughly 115% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,710 per month in Ashburton and $1,260 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashburton and $52.0 in Lae. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Ashburton and $840 in Lae. That's a gap of about 115%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Ashburton at $1,806. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lae – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.