Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $2,433 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

Jump to prices

Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,433

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland 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 Auckland and in Port Moresby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,433 in Auckland versus $1,532 in Port Moresby.

Auckland $2,433
Port Moresby $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,354 in Auckland versus $2,418 in Port Moresby.

Auckland $3,354
Port Moresby $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,274 in Auckland versus $3,305 in Port Moresby.

Auckland $4,274
Port Moresby $3,305

Living in Auckland is roughly 59% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 82% above, Port Moresby 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 NZ$24.68

$7.76 PGK 33.98

78.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 NZ$121

$43.89 PGK 192

54.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 NZ$16.31

$5.38 PGK 23.58

69.89%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.99

$2.44 PGK 10.69

37.70%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.45

$0.77 PGK 3.38

150.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.09

$0.67 PGK 2.95

158.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 NZ$12.16

$2.91 PGK 12.74

134.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 NZ$11.66

$3.56 PGK 15.59

83.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.48

$1.82 PGK 7.97

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NZ$3.88

$1.54 PGK 6.74

41.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.40

$1.39 PGK 6.09

36.69%

Eggs

$6.20 NZ$11.05

$3.62 PGK 15.86

71.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 NZ$15.13

$8.64 PGK 37.85

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 NZ$17.76

$5.60 PGK 24.55

77.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 NZ$30.27

$9.92 PGK 43.46

71.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 NZ$4.99

$4.21 PGK 18.45

-33.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.69

$3.12 PGK 13.67

-33.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$5.11

$7.01 PGK 30.72

-59.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 NZ$10.16

$6.56 PGK 28.75

-13.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.80

$3.40 PGK 14.92

-37.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 NZ$2.82

$2.92 PGK 12.79

-45.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.53

$2.33 PGK 10.20

-15.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.86

$1.29 PGK 5.64

-19.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.14 NZ$48.41

$6.26 PGK 27.45

333.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 NZ$18.35

$10.73 PGK 47.04

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NZ$5.09

$2.54 PGK 11.11

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NZ$5.96

$3.51 PGK 15.38

-4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 NZ$4.55

$0.42 PGK 1.86

507.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 NZ$220

$21.95 PGK 96.2

463.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 NZ$4.06

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.10 NZ$57.3

$15.47 PGK 67.8

107.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.33

$0.94 PGK 4.13

98.94%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.5K

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

-49.26%

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

$22.4K NZ$40.0K

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

30.07%

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

$179 NZ$319

$117 PGK 513

52.85%

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

$26.11 NZ$46.56

$22.67 PGK 99.4

15.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 NZ$90.0

$91.2 PGK 399

-44.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 NZ$79.8

$60.2 PGK 264

-25.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 NZ$31.95

$22.04 PGK 96.6

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 NZ$22.85

$8.74 PGK 38.31

46.57%

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

$1,110 NZ$1,979

$836 PGK 3,665

32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.7K

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

211.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 NZ$143

$32.86 PGK 144

144.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 NZ$70.7

$31.67 PGK 139

25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 NZ$168

$136 PGK 595

-30.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$199

$160 PGK 702

-30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NZ$2,367

$1,577 PGK 6,911

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 NZ$2,168

$551 PGK 2,414

120.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 NZ$3,838

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

-29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 NZ$2,946

$1,129 PGK 4,945

46.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,205 NZ$12.9K

$2,035 PGK 8,917

254.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,497 NZ$9,804

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

46.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 NZ$5,181

$429 PGK 1,881

576.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

12.17

-55.88%

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

Last update for Auckland: 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

Auckland

$1.2K 50.4%

Port Moresby

$551 36.3% 54.7% $665

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$338 14%

Port Moresby

$320 21.1% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$256 10.6%

Port Moresby

$231 15.2% 9.6% $25

Eating Out

Auckland

$240 10%

Port Moresby

$135 8.9% 43.9% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$146 6.1%

Port Moresby

$162 10.7% 10.7% $16

Getting Around

Auckland

$146 6.1%

Port Moresby

$40 2.7% 72.4% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$70 2.9%

Port Moresby

$78 5.1% 10.4% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Auckland and $1,577 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 577% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Auckland vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $320 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

3 h behind Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.204 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Auckland Port Moresby 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Auckland
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

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

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Moresby the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 577% higher in Auckland, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,327 in Auckland versus $1,577 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,110 in Auckland versus $836 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $2,433 in Auckland, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Moresby delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,532 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Moresby hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.