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 $694 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,002 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,310 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Australia costs about 215% more than Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% 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$22.73

$7.79 PGK 33.79

108.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$47.62 PGK 207

61.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$6.05 PGK 26.28

62.15%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$2.37 PGK 10.31

51.05%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.86 PGK 3.74

198.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.81 PGK 3.50

169.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$2.81 PGK 12.20

135.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$4.62 PGK 20.05

54.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.91 PGK 8.27

-21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.59 PGK 6.91

59.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.53 PGK 6.66

35.29%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$3.86 PGK 16.76

11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$6.29 PGK 27.28

37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$6.57 PGK 28.52

26.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$8.83 PGK 38.32

57.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$4.10 PGK 17.78

-19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$2.75 PGK 11.92

0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$4.64 PGK 20.14

-36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$3.88 PGK 16.84

7.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$3.45 PGK 14.96

-29.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$2.49 PGK 10.82

-15.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$3.02 PGK 13.09

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.07 PGK 4.62

40.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$6.59 PGK 28.61

379.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$11.48 PGK 49.81

24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$2.54 PGK 11.03

80.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$3.50 PGK 15.18

37.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.46 PGK 1.99

556.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$28.12 PGK 122

249.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$5.37 PGK 23.32

-35.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$2.53 PGK 10.99

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$16.76 PGK 72.7

126.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.12 PGK 4.88

8.04%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$23.8K PGK 103.1K

22.17%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$31.3K PGK 135.9K

-27.96%

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

$177 A$248

$105 PGK 454

69.39%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$48.53 PGK 211

-44.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$213 PGK 923

-75.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$62.4 PGK 271

-23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$12.37 PGK 53.7

33.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$9.33 PGK 40.49

47.16%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$432 PGK 1,876

268.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$4,092 PGK 17.8K

210.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$34.91 PGK 151

106.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$36.19 PGK 157

41.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$67.8 PGK 294

51.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$66.9 PGK 290

62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$3,145 PGK 13.7K

-55.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$474 PGK 2,057

127.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$3,179 PGK 13.8K

-26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$709 PGK 3,075

147.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$2,652 PGK 11.5K

191.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$3,855 PGK 16.7K

44.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$403 PGK 1,749

892.76%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $1,963 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $2,200 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $297 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 157% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1206% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 155% 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 155% 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.