Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fiji and Papua New Guinea

For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $1,035 a month against $1,364 in Papua New Guinea, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇫🇯 Fiji
$1,035
/mo nomad
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
$1,364
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fiji and in Papua New Guinea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fiji and in Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,035 per month in Fiji vs $1,364 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Fiji $1,035
  • Papua New Guinea $1,364

A couple spends around $1,708 per month in Fiji vs $2,170 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Fiji $1,708
  • Papua New Guinea $2,170

A family of three spends $2,380 per month in Fiji vs $2,976 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Fiji $2,380
  • Papua New Guinea $2,976

The cost of living in Fiji is roughly 24% lower than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Fiji sits 24% below the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.16 FJD 11.56
$7.09 PGK 31.04
-27.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.29 FJD 90.2
$44.55 PGK 195
-9.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.91 FJD 15.48
$5.35 PGK 23.42
29.16%
Cappuccino
$2.94 FJD 6.57
$2.33 PGK 10.18
26.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 FJD 3.39
$0.79 PGK 3.44
91.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 FJD 2.27
$0.67 PGK 2.92
52.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.07 FJD 6.87
$2.59 PGK 11.35
18.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 FJD 9.54
$3.97 PGK 17.38
7.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 FJD 3.00
$1.80 PGK 7.88
-25.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 FJD 1.57
$1.50 PGK 6.57
-53.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 FJD 2.49
$1.32 PGK 5.78
-15.91%
Eggs
$3.29 FJD 7.37
$3.63 PGK 15.89
-9.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.30 FJD 20.81
$6.49 PGK 28.42
43.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.24 FJD 20.68
$5.76 PGK 25.21
60.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.94 FJD 17.79
$9.18 PGK 40.19
-13.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 FJD 5.74
$4.00 PGK 17.52
-36.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 FJD 5.97
$3.29 PGK 14.39
-19.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.32 FJD 7.43
$6.15 PGK 26.93
-46.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.85 FJD 6.39
$5.12 PGK 22.42
-44.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 FJD 2.75
$3.29 PGK 14.41
-62.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 FJD 2.64
$2.79 PGK 12.20
-57.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 FJD 2.28
$2.01 PGK 8.79
-49.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 FJD 1.81
$1.13 PGK 4.94
-28.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.52 FJD 21.32
$6.55 PGK 28.66
45.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.28 FJD 18.55
$10.72 PGK 46.94
-22.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 FJD 5.14
$2.47 PGK 10.83
-7.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 FJD 8.15
$3.71 PGK 16.23
-1.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 FJD 1.74
$0.46 PGK 2.01
69.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.41 FJD 50.2
$25.35 PGK 111
-11.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 FJD 1.94
$4.81 PGK 21.07
-81.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 FJD 1.01
$2.22 PGK 9.73
-79.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.79 FJD 19.67
$12.21 PGK 53.5
-28.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 FJD 2.96
$0.98 PGK 4.27
34.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K FJD 54.1K
$29.0K PGK 127.0K
-16.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K FJD 57.5K
$22.7K PGK 99.3K
13.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.0 FJD 128
$93.6 PGK 410
-39.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.14 FJD 31.66
$24.89 PGK 109
-43.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.36 FJD 45.58
$104 PGK 454
-80.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.65 FJD 82.1
$63.6 PGK 278
-42.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.10 FJD 15.89
$24.19 PGK 106
-70.65%
Cinema Ticket
$3.75 FJD 8.40
$8.64 PGK 37.82
-56.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$188 FJD 420
$522 PGK 2,283
-64.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K FJD 29.3K
$5,363 PGK 23.5K
143.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.77 FJD 62.2
$36.28 PGK 159
-23.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 FJD 78.1
$33.70 PGK 148
3.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.2 FJD 153
$64.1 PGK 281
6.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$62.5 FJD 140
$85.4 PGK 374
-26.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$919 FJD 2,058
$1,337 PGK 5,855
-31.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$406 FJD 908
$495 PGK 2,167
-18.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,016 FJD 4,514
$2,689 PGK 11.8K
-25.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$897 FJD 2,007
$1,069 PGK 4,678
-16.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,191 FJD 2,667
$2,026 PGK 8,869
-41.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$800 FJD 1,792
$3,702 PGK 16.2K
-78.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$766 FJD 1,716
$417 PGK 1,826
83.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.38
13.67
-46.01%

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

Last update for Fiji: October 18, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fiji
$406
Papua New Guinea
$495 22.1% $90
Groceries & Markets
Fiji
$247
Papua New Guinea
$297 20% $49
Eating Out
Fiji
$131
Papua New Guinea
$127 2.9% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
$91
Papua New Guinea
$222 143% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
$87
Papua New Guinea
$99 13.5% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
$44
Papua New Guinea
$81 83.1% $37
Getting Around
Fiji
$29
Papua New Guinea
$43 50.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $347 in Fiji vs $751 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $880 in Suva and $1,507 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $676 in Fiji vs $311 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 116% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 26% more in Fiji.

Public transport is 250% more expensive in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 117% higher in Fiji, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Fiji.

Good to know
🇫🇯 Fiji
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
🕒 Local time
22:52 10:52 PM
20:52 8:52 PM
2 h behind Fiji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
926,276
8,935,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fiji Papua New Guinea 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fiji
  • Papua New Guinea

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Fiji vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fiji more expensive than Papua New Guinea?
Fiji is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 32% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Papua New Guinea: a central one-bedroom averages $751 versus $347 in Fiji.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Fiji or in Papua New Guinea?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Fiji, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Fiji or to Papua New Guinea?
Fiji 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.

Fiji vs other spots: cost of living compared

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