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: $1,430 in Cook Islands versus $465 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Cook Islands versus $741 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cook Islands versus $1,017 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Cook Islands is roughly 208% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Cook Islands (4% above) and Papua New Guinea (66% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 NZ$20.41

$7.40 PGK 32.12

60.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 NZ$103

$45.53 PGK 198

31.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 NZ$12.87

$5.70 PGK 24.74

31.23%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.91

$2.40 PGK 10.42

43.33%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.23

$0.80 PGK 3.49

207.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.32

$0.69 PGK 3.00

263.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 NZ$10.04

$2.62 PGK 11.38

122.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 NZ$8.85

$4.08 PGK 17.69

26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NZ$3.96

$1.95 PGK 8.46

18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.45

$1.47 PGK 6.38

115.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.08

$1.42 PGK 6.17

26.06%

Eggs

$5.55 NZ$9.54

$3.73 PGK 16.18

48.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 NZ$16.60

$6.29 PGK 27.29

53.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.21

$5.80 PGK 25.15

42.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 NZ$18.07

$9.15 PGK 39.72

14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.95

$3.98 PGK 17.27

-27.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$3.38 PGK 14.67

-46.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NZ$6.19

$5.94 PGK 25.78

-39.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.51 NZ$16.35

$5.05 PGK 21.91

88.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.11

$3.73 PGK 16.19

-20.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.07

$2.51 PGK 10.88

-5.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$3.95

$1.80 PGK 7.82

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 NZ$5.10

$1.02 PGK 4.44

191.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 NZ$20.35

$6.15 PGK 26.70

92.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 NZ$22.95

$11.01 PGK 47.80

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.15

$2.81 PGK 12.20

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 NZ$8.29

$3.71 PGK 16.11

29.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 NZ$5.17

$0.47 PGK 2.04

540.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 PGK 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 NZ$35.55

$5.20 PGK 22.56

297.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 NZ$59.6

$14.84 PGK 64.4

133.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.50

$1.02 PGK 4.43

99.02%

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

$11.9K NZ$20.5K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

-46.17%

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

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

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

$108 NZ$186

$96.6 PGK 419

12.12%

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

$50.0 NZ$86.0

$27.50 PGK 119

81.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 NZ$183

$118 PGK 514

-10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 PGK 288

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 PGK 87.5

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 PGK 38.21

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

$536 PGK 2,326

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,416 NZ$2,434

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

-74.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.70 PGK 159

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 PGK 136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 PGK 298

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 PGK 403

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 NZ$1,279

$1,655 PGK 7,181

-55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,253

$460 PGK 1,996

58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NZ$700

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

-84.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 NZ$1,116

$1,086 PGK 4,713

-40.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 NZ$1,702

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

-73.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,119 NZ$7,083

$421 PGK 1,829

877.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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

Last update for Cook Islands: September 6, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Cook Islands, $787 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,012 in Avarua vs $1,627 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $4,121 in Cook Islands, $317 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 200% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 1200% 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 $1,430 per month in Cook Islands and $754 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 90% 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, $1,500 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.