Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $2,044 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Cambridge versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Cambridge $2,044
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,830 in Cambridge versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Cambridge $2,830
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Cambridge versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Cambridge $3,617
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Cambridge is roughly 39% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 51% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 NZ$24.32

$7.76 PGK 33.97

77.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$44.08 PGK 193

55.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.45

$5.61 PGK 24.55

55.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.10

$2.54 PGK 11.13

35.83%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$0.74 PGK 3.23

160.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$0.69 PGK 3.00

188.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.75

$3.03 PGK 13.28

100.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.73

$3.68 PGK 16.10

80.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$1.83 PGK 8.02

-17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.50 PGK 6.55

48.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$1.36 PGK 5.97

38.97%

Eggs

$5.95 NZ$10.53

$3.74 PGK 16.38

59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 NZ$14.73

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.68

$4.94 PGK 21.64

90.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$23.01

$9.55 PGK 41.82

36.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-42.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-30.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.34

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-58.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-12.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-31.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.92

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-18.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.11 NZ$44.41

$6.51 PGK 28.52

285.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 NZ$18.39

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.08

$2.70 PGK 11.83

27.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

$3.53 PGK 15.43

8.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$0.47 PGK 2.05

478.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-55.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-13.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 NZ$55.5

$14.72 PGK 64.4

113.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.00 PGK 4.38

70.00%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-50.49%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

27.60%

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

$99.4 NZ$176

$118 PGK 516

-15.64%

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

$26.44 NZ$46.77

$20.84 PGK 91.2

26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$89.8

$82.2 PGK 360

-38.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 NZ$23.90

$8.80 PGK 38.51

53.52%

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

$673 NZ$1,190

$563 PGK 2,465

19.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

209.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NZ$110

$35.46 PGK 155

74.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 NZ$66.1

$33.95 PGK 149

10.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$69.7 PGK 305

33.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NZ$186

$96.3 PGK 422

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 NZ$1,033

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NZ$1,985

$564 PGK 2,470

98.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$2,048

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$1,182 PGK 5,172

22.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,539 NZ$8,027

$2,085 PGK 9,129

117.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 NZ$6,953

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

3.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,585 NZ$4,571

$427 PGK 1,870

505.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

-50.70%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 49.7% $558

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$324 15.9%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 1.2% $4

Eating Out

Cambridge

$237 11.6%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 41.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$177 8.6%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 25% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$134 6.6%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 21% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 194% $52

Getting Around

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 79.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Cambridge and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 505% 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 Cambridge vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $320 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,400

364,145 Capital

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Port Moresby 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

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

Port Moresby is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 505% higher in Cambridge, 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: $584 in Cambridge versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Cambridge versus $563 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Moresby – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $68.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $2,044 in Cambridge, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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 39% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.