Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Cook Islands versus $677 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,690 in Cook Islands versus $982 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Cook Islands versus $1,287 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Cook Islands is roughly 61% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cook Islands 18% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 NZ$20.99

$7.73 PGK 34.10

57.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 NZ$105

$48.15 PGK 212

25.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 NZ$15.91

$5.85 PGK 25.78

57.44%

Cappuccino

$4.22 NZ$7.28

$2.30 PGK 10.15

83.48%

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

$2.51 NZ$4.33

$0.90 PGK 3.95

178.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NZ$4.12

$0.75 PGK 3.29

218.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.50 NZ$11.23

$2.95 PGK 12.99

120.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 NZ$9.48

$4.59 PGK 20.23

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.73

$1.98 PGK 8.74

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.48

$1.58 PGK 6.98

100.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 NZ$2.84

$1.51 PGK 6.65

8.61%

Eggs

$5.85 NZ$10.10

$3.76 PGK 16.56

55.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 NZ$17.09

$6.32 PGK 27.85

56.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 NZ$13.93

$6.66 PGK 29.38

21.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 NZ$15.40

$9.15 PGK 40.37

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.24

$4.06 PGK 17.89

-25.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NZ$4.27

$2.73 PGK 12.03

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NZ$6.33

$4.92 PGK 21.68

-25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 NZ$10.78

$4.02 PGK 17.74

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.11

$3.45 PGK 15.21

-31.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.33

$2.42 PGK 10.67

-20.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 NZ$3.61

$2.85 PGK 12.59

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.84

$1.07 PGK 4.71

215.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 NZ$26.15

$6.34 PGK 27.97

138.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 NZ$23.07

$10.92 PGK 48.17

22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.23

$2.62 PGK 11.56

37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.74

$3.55 PGK 15.66

42.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 NZ$5.05

$0.47 PGK 2.06

523.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 PGK 125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.30 NZ$36.78

$5.51 PGK 24.31

286.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 11.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 NZ$61.9

$17.09 PGK 75.4

109.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.05

$1.12 PGK 4.93

58.04%

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

$12.2K NZ$21.0K

$24.1K PGK 106.4K

-49.64%

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

$30.8K PGK 136.0K

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

$105 NZ$182

$101 PGK 446

4.15%

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

$30.13 NZ$52.0

$48.45 PGK 214

-37.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 NZ$184

$211 PGK 929

-49.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.63 NZ$42.53

$63.0 PGK 278

-60.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 NZ$42.32

$12.44 PGK 54.9

97.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 NZ$12.11

$9.80 PGK 43.23

-28.47%

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

$432 PGK 1,907

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,456 NZ$2,514

$4,080 PGK 18.0K

-64.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 NZ$118

$35.65 PGK 157

91.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 PGK 160

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 PGK 302

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 NZ$126

$65.9 PGK 290

10.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 NZ$551

$3,043 PGK 13.4K

-89.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 NZ$562

$474 PGK 2,092

-31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 NZ$626

$3,153 PGK 13.9K

-88.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 NZ$821

$713 PGK 3,143

-33.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 NZ$8,604

$2,088 PGK 9,207

138.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 NZ$1,253

$3,779 PGK 16.7K

-80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,014 NZ$6,932

$420 PGK 1,852

855.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

-37.25%

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

Last update for Cook Islands: July 21, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $320 in Cook Islands, $1,987 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $158 in Avarua vs $2,149 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $4,080 in Cook Islands, $318 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 521% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 100% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 1183% higher in Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Cook Islands.

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

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

At $1,092 per month in Cook Islands and $843 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 30% 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 Cook Islands 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, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Cook Islands 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; Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.