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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $992 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,301 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 220% 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 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$7.63 PGK 33.67

109.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$48.86 PGK 216

61.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$6.02 PGK 26.56

60.80%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$2.43 PGK 10.73

47.33%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$0.91 PGK 4.02

181.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.80 PGK 3.55

177.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$2.94 PGK 12.96

115.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$4.67 PGK 20.59

48.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.91 PGK 8.45

-18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.52 PGK 6.69

66.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$1.45 PGK 6.38

37.93%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$3.89 PGK 17.18

9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$6.31 PGK 27.82

38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$6.61 PGK 29.16

24.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$8.84 PGK 38.99

60.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$4.01 PGK 17.68

-18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.74 PGK 12.08

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$4.80 PGK 21.18

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$3.99 PGK 17.62

8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$3.42 PGK 15.08

-25.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.47 PGK 10.91

-12.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$3.03 PGK 13.35

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$1.07 PGK 4.70

42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$6.60 PGK 29.14

373.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$11.21 PGK 49.46

25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$2.56 PGK 11.30

73.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$3.45 PGK 15.21

42.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$0.46 PGK 2.04

541.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$28.55 PGK 126

235.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$5.41 PGK 23.88

-35.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$2.48 PGK 10.95

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$16.96 PGK 74.8

119.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.07 PGK 4.72

9.35%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$24.4K PGK 107.5K

17.97%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

-28.40%

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

$173 A$246

$102 PGK 452

69.18%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$48.82 PGK 215

-45.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$211 PGK 929

-74.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$63.8 PGK 282

-26.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$12.19 PGK 53.8

34.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$9.67 PGK 42.66

40.23%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$443 PGK 1,955

254.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

203.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$35.58 PGK 157

102.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$35.79 PGK 158

44.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$67.4 PGK 298

50.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$66.7 PGK 294

61.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

-54.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$479 PGK 2,114

126.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

-28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$727 PGK 3,208

140.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$2,075 PGK 9,158

283.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

57.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$415 PGK 1,830

877.24%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $1,985 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $2,194 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $315 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 61% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 157% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1109% 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 162% 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 162% 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.