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 $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $992 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,432 per month in Canada vs $1,301 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 240% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 74% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.43

$7.63 PGK 33.65

137.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$104

$48.86 PGK 215

51.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.75

$6.02 PGK 26.54

86.38%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.31

$2.43 PGK 10.72

55.56%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$0.91 PGK 4.02

137.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.47

$0.80 PGK 3.55

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.24

$2.94 PGK 12.95

99.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CA$8.28

$4.67 PGK 20.58

26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$1.91 PGK 8.45

15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 CA$3.92

$1.52 PGK 6.68

83.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.10

$1.45 PGK 6.38

151.03%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$3.89 PGK 17.18

-9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.05

$6.31 PGK 27.81

81.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 CA$17.56

$6.61 PGK 29.14

89.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 CA$21.07

$8.84 PGK 38.98

69.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.92

$4.01 PGK 17.67

4.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$2.74 PGK 12.08

-47.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.53

$4.80 PGK 21.17

-17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.82

$3.99 PGK 17.61

3.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$3.42 PGK 15.07

-19.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.47 PGK 10.91

12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$3.03 PGK 13.34

-15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.61

$1.07 PGK 4.70

73.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 CA$20.47

$6.60 PGK 29.13

120.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 CA$18.57

$11.21 PGK 49.44

18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.12

$2.56 PGK 11.29

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$3.45 PGK 15.20

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$0.46 PGK 2.04

467.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 CA$110

$28.55 PGK 126

174.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 CA$4.93

$5.41 PGK 23.87

-35.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$2.48 PGK 10.94

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.70 CA$40.29

$16.96 PGK 74.8

69.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.07 PGK 4.72

12.15%

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

$24.6K CA$34.6K

$24.4K PGK 107.4K

1.07%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

-34.49%

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

$155 CA$218

$102 PGK 452

51.42%

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

$46.34 CA$65.0

$48.82 PGK 215

-5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 CA$89.2

$211 PGK 929

-69.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 CA$60.2

$63.8 PGK 281

-32.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CA$25.08

$12.19 PGK 53.8

46.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.14

$9.67 PGK 42.64

18.92%

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

$815 CA$1,144

$443 PGK 1,954

83.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.9K

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

189.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$78.1

$35.58 PGK 157

56.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 CA$59.7

$35.79 PGK 158

18.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 CA$124

$67.4 PGK 297

30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$66.7 PGK 294

61.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CA$1,869

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

-56.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 CA$1,652

$479 PGK 2,113

145.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,079

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

-31.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CA$2,650

$727 PGK 3,206

159.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 CA$6,446

$2,075 PGK 9,154

121.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 CA$5,340

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

0.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,913 CA$4,088

$415 PGK 1,829

602.30%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $1,985 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,468 in Ottawa and $2,194 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $2,911 in Canada 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 55% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 127% more in Canada.

Public transport is 713% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 824% 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 166% 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 166% 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.