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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $690 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $985 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,433 per month in Canada vs $1,280 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Canada costs about 236% more than Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$7.87 PGK 33.79

138.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$47.39 PGK 204

56.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$5.97 PGK 25.65

88.44%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$2.31 PGK 9.94

67.10%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$0.87 PGK 3.72

151.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.75 PGK 3.23

125.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

$2.81 PGK 12.05

112.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$4.48 PGK 19.26

31.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.91 PGK 8.19

19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$1.58 PGK 6.78

74.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$1.46 PGK 6.28

146.58%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$3.89 PGK 16.70

-10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$6.22 PGK 26.72

84.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$6.53 PGK 28.06

89.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$8.97 PGK 38.52

66.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$4.02 PGK 17.28

4.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$2.82 PGK 12.12

-46.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$4.81 PGK 20.66

-18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$3.94 PGK 16.94

4.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$3.44 PGK 14.80

-18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$2.49 PGK 10.71

5.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.89 PGK 12.43

-7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$1.06 PGK 4.54

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$6.34 PGK 27.23

132.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

$11.09 PGK 47.64

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$2.53 PGK 10.89

19.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$3.50 PGK 15.02

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$0.50 PGK 2.13

418.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$28.53 PGK 123

173.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$5.43 PGK 23.31

-34.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$2.50 PGK 10.72

-41.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$16.97 PGK 72.9

71.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.12 PGK 4.83

4.46%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$23.8K PGK 102.2K

3.47%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$31.5K PGK 135.2K

-34.85%

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

$154 CA$215

$101 PGK 434

52.54%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$49.27 PGK 212

-6.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$212 PGK 912

-70.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$62.8 PGK 270

-31.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$12.50 PGK 53.7

40.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$9.53 PGK 40.93

20.25%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$445 PGK 1,913

82.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$4,038 PGK 17.3K

202.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$35.92 PGK 154

56.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$35.10 PGK 151

17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$68.7 PGK 295

29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$66.5 PGK 286

60.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$3,052 PGK 13.1K

-54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$475 PGK 2,043

148.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$3,132 PGK 13.5K

-32.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$725 PGK 3,116

160.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$2,082 PGK 8,943

131.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$3,827 PGK 16.4K

1.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$423 PGK 1,817

596.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

12.75

-50.35%

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

Last update for Canada: June 7, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $1,944 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $2,149 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $319 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 127% more in Canada.

Public transport is 713% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 823% higher in Canada, giving Canada 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

Canada 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 Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada 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 Canada 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.