Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $689 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $986 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,282 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 217% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$23.14

$7.71 PGK 33.66

110.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$48.21 PGK 211

64.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$5.91 PGK 25.83

67.17%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$2.40 PGK 10.49

48.75%

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

$2.59 A$3.70

$0.90 PGK 3.94

187.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.81 PGK 3.52

164.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

$2.80 PGK 12.22

130.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

$4.63 PGK 20.20

50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.94 PGK 8.46

-21.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.58 PGK 6.90

56.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.51 PGK 6.62

39.07%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$3.83 PGK 16.73

10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$6.06 PGK 26.49

49.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$6.56 PGK 28.65

31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$8.84 PGK 38.59

59.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$3.98 PGK 17.39

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.87 PGK 12.55

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$4.81 PGK 20.99

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$3.87 PGK 16.90

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$3.37 PGK 14.70

-26.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$2.51 PGK 10.94

-13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$2.88 PGK 12.56

-21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.02 PGK 4.45

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$6.45 PGK 28.16

378.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

$11.18 PGK 48.81

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

$2.65 PGK 11.58

66.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

$3.39 PGK 14.82

43.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.46 PGK 2.00

532.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$28.48 PGK 124

239.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$5.32 PGK 23.25

-30.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$2.39 PGK 10.44

-26.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$16.63 PGK 72.6

129.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.08 PGK 4.71

6.48%

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

$29.2K A$41.6K

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

21.84%

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

$22.4K A$31.9K

$31.0K PGK 135.4K

-27.77%

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

$178 A$254

$103 PGK 450

72.79%

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

$26.86 A$38.29

$47.82 PGK 209

-43.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$212 PGK 927

-75.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$62.6 PGK 273

-25.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$12.39 PGK 54.1

33.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$9.80 PGK 42.80

38.88%

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

$1,612 A$2,298

$438 PGK 1,912

268.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$4,137 PGK 18.1K

201.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$35.16 PGK 154

100.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$36.16 PGK 158

41.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$68.3 PGK 298

51.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$66.6 PGK 291

64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$3,074 PGK 13.4K

-54.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$477 PGK 2,082

126.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$3,229 PGK 14.1K

-29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$734 PGK 3,205

136.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$2,150 PGK 9,392

246.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$3,824 PGK 16.7K

47.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$428 PGK 1,869

833.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

12.75

-50.20%

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

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $1,968 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $2,159 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $321 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 166% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1100% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 156% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 156% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Australia 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.