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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in China versus $472 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in China versus $745 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,017 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in China is roughly 52% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.65

$7.36 PGK 31.85

-60.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥147

$45.95 PGK 199

-52.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥33.83

$5.81 PGK 25.13

-13.25%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.28

$2.37 PGK 10.27

27.43%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$0.74 PGK 3.21

-36.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.64 PGK 2.76

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$2.79 PGK 12.08

-61.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.25

$4.04 PGK 17.49

-43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.10

$1.92 PGK 8.32

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.41

$1.52 PGK 6.60

11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$1.40 PGK 6.06

-30.71%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$3.83 PGK 16.57

-57.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥87.3

$6.36 PGK 27.51

104.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.77

$5.57 PGK 24.09

-39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.0

$9.48 PGK 41.03

19.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.97

$3.94 PGK 17.07

-54.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$3.22 PGK 13.95

-61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.89

$6.06 PGK 26.24

-75.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.69

$4.89 PGK 21.15

-73.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$3.70 PGK 16.03

-78.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$2.53 PGK 10.97

-66.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.32

$1.86 PGK 8.06

-65.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$1.06 PGK 4.60

-44.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.50

$6.24 PGK 26.99

-39.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.9

$11.28 PGK 48.82

5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$2.84 PGK 12.31

-70.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.42

$3.66 PGK 15.84

-53.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.46 PGK 2.00

-36.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 ¥150

$26.57 PGK 115

-16.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$4.94 PGK 21.40

-70.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$2.21 PGK 9.55

-83.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.12

$14.53 PGK 62.9

-51.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$0.99 PGK 4.27

27.27%

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

$19.0K ¥127.5K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

-14.63%

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

$17.0K ¥114.3K

$23.1K PGK 100.1K

-26.43%

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

$55.3 ¥371

$96.3 PGK 417

-42.61%

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

$8.77 ¥58.9

$27.75 PGK 120

-68.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥72.4

$122 PGK 527

-91.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 ¥265

$64.5 PGK 279

-38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ¥98.1

$20.93 PGK 90.6

-30.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ¥45.15

$9.05 PGK 39.16

-25.75%

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

$447 ¥3,002

$547 PGK 2,367

-18.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥132.4K

$5,532 PGK 23.9K

256.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 ¥293

$35.91 PGK 155

21.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ¥235

$31.13 PGK 135

12.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥517

$69.7 PGK 302

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥518

$94.1 PGK 407

-17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,579

$1,659 PGK 7,182

-76.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,549

$461 PGK 1,994

-49.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥5,534

$2,663 PGK 11.5K

-69.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,169

$1,098 PGK 4,755

-57.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,687 ¥31.5K

$2,071 PGK 8,965

126.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 ¥15.7K

$3,861 PGK 16.7K

-39.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,269

$421 PGK 1,820

157.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

13.67

-74.62%

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

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $290 in China, $784 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $953 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,639 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $321 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 170% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 113% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 167% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $778 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.