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 $2,217 per month in Canada vs $465 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Canada vs $741 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Canada vs $1,017 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 377% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 61% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 CA$25.35

$7.40 PGK 32.12

147.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$98.8

$45.53 PGK 198

56.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.20

$5.70 PGK 24.74

92.28%

Cappuccino

$3.95 CA$5.47

$2.40 PGK 10.42

64.58%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$0.80 PGK 3.49

158.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.69 PGK 3.00

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.23

$2.62 PGK 11.38

126.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.89

$4.08 PGK 17.69

39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.95 PGK 8.46

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$1.47 PGK 6.38

84.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.16

$1.42 PGK 6.17

161.97%

Eggs

$3.61 CA$5.01

$3.73 PGK 16.18

-3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$14.99

$6.29 PGK 27.29

71.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 CA$16.95

$5.80 PGK 25.15

110.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 CA$21.75

$9.15 PGK 39.72

71.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.89

$3.98 PGK 17.27

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$3.38 PGK 14.67

-57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$5.94 PGK 25.78

-32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.67

$5.05 PGK 21.91

-19.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.72

$3.73 PGK 16.19

-28.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$2.51 PGK 10.88

-2.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.70

$1.80 PGK 7.82

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.02 PGK 4.44

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.05

$6.15 PGK 26.70

135.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CA$18.84

$11.01 PGK 47.80

23.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$2.81 PGK 12.20

1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.52

$3.71 PGK 16.11

-12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.41

$0.47 PGK 2.04

423.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 CA$104

$26.44 PGK 115

184.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.37

$5.20 PGK 22.56

-39.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$2.28 PGK 9.90

-32.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 CA$38.21

$14.84 PGK 64.4

85.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.02 PGK 4.43

13.73%

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

$28.4K CA$39.3K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

27.90%

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

$19.5K CA$27.0K

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

-16.71%

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

$155 CA$215

$96.6 PGK 419

60.34%

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

$43.47 CA$60.3

$27.50 PGK 119

58.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CA$83.8

$118 PGK 514

-48.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.1

$66.3 PGK 288

-37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 CA$27.45

$20.17 PGK 87.5

-1.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 CA$15.98

$8.81 PGK 38.21

30.87%

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

$786 CA$1,089

$536 PGK 2,326

46.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.6K

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

162.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.3

$36.70 PGK 159

49.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 CA$57.2

$31.22 PGK 136

32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 CA$122

$68.6 PGK 298

28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$92.9 PGK 403

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,797

$1,655 PGK 7,181

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,619

$460 PGK 1,996

153.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,835

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 CA$2,467

$1,086 PGK 4,713

63.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,786 CA$6,638

$2,080 PGK 9,028

130.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,973 CA$5,510

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

5.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 CA$4,270

$421 PGK 1,829

630.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

13.67

-64.45%

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

Last update for Canada: September 8, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,228 in Canada vs $787 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,496 in Ottawa and $1,627 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $2,981 in Canada vs $317 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 247% more in Canada.

Public transport is 650% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 840% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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 211% 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 211% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.