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 $2,323 per month in Canada vs $694 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $1,002 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Canada vs $1,310 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Canada costs about 235% 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 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.11

$7.79 PGK 33.95

135.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$99.2

$47.62 PGK 208

51.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 CA$14.89

$6.05 PGK 26.40

79.67%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.10

$2.37 PGK 10.35

56.96%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$0.86 PGK 3.76

144.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$0.81 PGK 3.51

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.20

$2.81 PGK 12.26

113.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 CA$7.85

$4.62 PGK 20.14

24.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.91 PGK 8.31

16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.83

$1.59 PGK 6.94

76.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.02

$1.53 PGK 6.69

139.22%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$3.86 PGK 16.83

-8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.53

$6.29 PGK 27.40

80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 CA$17.16

$6.57 PGK 28.65

90.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 CA$20.75

$8.83 PGK 38.49

71.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.83

$4.10 PGK 17.86

3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.07

$2.75 PGK 11.97

-45.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.42

$4.64 PGK 20.23

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.75

$3.88 PGK 16.92

7.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$3.45 PGK 15.03

-20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$2.49 PGK 10.87

9.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.52

$3.02 PGK 13.15

-14.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.56

$1.07 PGK 4.64

74.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 CA$20.10

$6.59 PGK 28.74

122.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CA$18.15

$11.48 PGK 50.0

15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$2.54 PGK 11.08

14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$3.50 PGK 15.25

-4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$0.46 PGK 2.00

473.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 CA$106

$28.12 PGK 123

176.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 CA$4.61

$5.37 PGK 23.43

-37.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$2.53 PGK 11.04

-41.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 CA$39.43

$16.76 PGK 73.1

71.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.57

$1.12 PGK 4.90

2.68%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$23.8K PGK 103.6K

4.86%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

-35.14%

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

$156 CA$214

$105 PGK 456

49.16%

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

$46.08 CA$63.1

$48.53 PGK 212

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CA$85.4

$213 PGK 927

-70.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 CA$60.3

$62.4 PGK 272

-29.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 CA$24.56

$12.37 PGK 53.9

44.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 CA$15.66

$9.33 PGK 40.68

22.51%

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

$815 CA$1,117

$432 PGK 1,884

88.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$16.8K

$4,092 PGK 17.8K

199.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$76.6

$34.91 PGK 152

60.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 CA$56.9

$36.19 PGK 158

14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 CA$122

$67.8 PGK 296

30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$66.9 PGK 291

63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,890

$3,145 PGK 13.7K

-56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,661

$474 PGK 2,066

155.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 CA$2,960

$3,179 PGK 13.9K

-32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 CA$2,556

$709 PGK 3,089

163.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 CA$6,847

$2,652 PGK 11.6K

88.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,001 CA$5,481

$3,855 PGK 16.8K

3.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,031 CA$4,153

$403 PGK 1,757

652.34%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $1,963 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,475 in Ottawa and $2,200 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,008 in Canada 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 53% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 127% more in Canada.

Public transport is 725% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 913% 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.