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: $1,111 in Cook Islands versus $690 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Cook Islands versus $985 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,295 in Cook Islands versus $1,280 in Papua New Guinea.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Cook Islands 17% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 NZ$21.08

$7.87 PGK 34.38

55.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 NZ$103

$47.39 PGK 207

26.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 NZ$15.98

$5.97 PGK 26.10

55.44%

Cappuccino

$4.13 NZ$7.11

$2.31 PGK 10.11

78.79%

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

$2.53 NZ$4.36

$0.87 PGK 3.79

190.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NZ$4.03

$0.75 PGK 3.28

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 NZ$11.30

$2.81 PGK 12.26

133.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 NZ$9.27

$4.48 PGK 19.59

20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 NZ$3.67

$1.91 PGK 8.34

11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NZ$5.38

$1.58 PGK 6.89

97.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.78

$1.46 PGK 6.39

10.27%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.11

$3.89 PGK 16.99

50.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 NZ$16.88

$6.22 PGK 27.18

57.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NZ$13.83

$6.53 PGK 28.55

22.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 NZ$15.66

$8.97 PGK 39.19

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.30

$4.02 PGK 17.58

-23.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.11

$2.82 PGK 12.33

-15.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.06

$4.81 PGK 21.02

-26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 NZ$10.60

$3.94 PGK 17.23

56.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.08

$3.44 PGK 15.05

-31.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.36

$2.49 PGK 10.90

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.68

$2.89 PGK 12.65

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.82

$1.06 PGK 4.62

218.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 NZ$25.58

$6.34 PGK 27.71

134.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 NZ$22.71

$11.09 PGK 48.48

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.12

$2.53 PGK 11.08

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 NZ$8.43

$3.50 PGK 15.28

39.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 NZ$5.12

$0.50 PGK 2.17

494.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 PGK 125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.13 NZ$36.40

$5.43 PGK 23.72

289.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 10.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$62.1

$16.97 PGK 74.2

112.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$3.03

$1.12 PGK 4.92

57.14%

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

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

$23.8K PGK 104.0K

-49.33%

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

$31.5K PGK 137.5K

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

$104 NZ$180

$101 PGK 441

3.19%

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

$30.16 NZ$52.0

$49.27 PGK 215

-38.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 NZ$180

$212 PGK 928

-50.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 NZ$42.54

$62.8 PGK 274

-60.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.18 NZ$41.66

$12.50 PGK 54.6

93.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 NZ$11.72

$9.53 PGK 41.65

-28.65%

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

$445 PGK 1,947

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,453 NZ$2,503

$4,038 PGK 17.7K

-64.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$116

$35.92 PGK 157

87.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 PGK 153

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 PGK 300

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 NZ$128

$66.5 PGK 291

12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 NZ$554

$3,052 PGK 13.3K

-89.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 NZ$540

$475 PGK 2,078

-34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 NZ$620

$3,132 PGK 13.7K

-88.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 NZ$808

$725 PGK 3,170

-35.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,970 NZ$8,562

$2,082 PGK 9,099

138.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$724 NZ$1,247

$3,827 PGK 16.7K

-81.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,039 NZ$6,959

$423 PGK 1,849

855.08%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $319 in Cook Islands, $1,944 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $154 in Avarua vs $2,149 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $4,018 in Cook Islands, $319 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 509% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 100% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 1160% higher in Cook Islands, giving Cook Islands 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

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

At $1,111 per month in Cook Islands and $863 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Papua New Guinea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.