Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Papua New Guinea

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,364 a month against $2,065 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇩🇪 Germany
$2,065
/mo nomad
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
$1,364
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany 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 Germany and in Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,065 in Germany versus $1,364 in Papua New Guinea.

  • Germany $2,065
  • Papua New Guinea $1,364

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,136 in Germany versus $2,170 in Papua New Guinea.

  • Germany $3,136
  • Papua New Guinea $2,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Germany versus $2,976 in Papua New Guinea.

  • Germany $4,208
  • Papua New Guinea $2,976

Living in Germany is roughly 51% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 52% above, Papua New Guinea 1% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.61 €14.77
$7.09 PGK 31.04
134.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 €64.4
$44.55 PGK 195
62.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 €10.81
$5.35 PGK 23.42
127.10%
Cappuccino
$3.96 €3.52
$2.33 PGK 10.18
69.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.07
$0.79 PGK 3.44
336.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 €2.72
$0.67 PGK 2.92
356.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 €4.62
$2.59 PGK 11.35
100.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 €4.08
$3.97 PGK 17.38
15.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.80 PGK 7.88
-29.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.50 PGK 6.57
42.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.56 €3.17
$1.32 PGK 5.78
169.70%
Eggs
$3.79 €3.37
$3.63 PGK 15.89
4.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.65 €13.03
$6.49 PGK 28.42
125.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.78 €10.48
$5.76 PGK 25.21
104.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.78 €18.48
$9.18 PGK 40.19
126.36%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 €2.82
$4.00 PGK 17.52
-20.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$3.29 PGK 14.39
-39.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.21 €1.96
$6.15 PGK 26.93
-64.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 €3.81
$5.12 PGK 22.42
-16.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 €1.29
$3.29 PGK 14.41
-55.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 €1.33
$2.79 PGK 12.20
-46.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.67 €1.49
$2.01 PGK 8.79
-16.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.13 PGK 4.94
-5.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.90 €8.81
$6.55 PGK 28.66
51.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.56 €5.83
$10.72 PGK 46.94
-38.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.47 PGK 10.83
-55.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 €1.43
$3.71 PGK 16.23
-56.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 €3.42
$0.46 PGK 2.01
734.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$70.9 €63.1
$25.35 PGK 111
179.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.52 €4.91
$4.81 PGK 21.07
14.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.74 €2.44
$2.22 PGK 9.73
23.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.54 €34.28
$12.21 PGK 53.5
215.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.87
$0.98 PGK 4.27
115.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$29.0K PGK 127.0K
13.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.4K
$22.7K PGK 99.3K
70.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$338 €301
$93.6 PGK 410
261.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.76 €22.02
$24.89 PGK 109
-0.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.37 €42.13
$104 PGK 454
-54.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.14 €36.59
$63.6 PGK 278
-35.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.41 €24.38
$24.19 PGK 106
13.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.31 €12.73
$8.64 PGK 37.82
65.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$573 €510
$522 PGK 2,283
9.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.6K
$5,363 PGK 23.5K
227.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$36.28 PGK 159
145.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.77 €38.04
$33.70 PGK 148
26.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 €88.5
$64.1 PGK 281
55.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €117
$85.4 PGK 374
54.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$896 €797
$1,337 PGK 5,855
-33.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$703 €625
$495 PGK 2,167
41.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,675 €1,490
$2,689 PGK 11.8K
-37.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,314 €1,169
$1,069 PGK 4,678
22.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,163 €5,482
$2,026 PGK 8,869
204.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,027 €3,582
$3,702 PGK 16.2K
8.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,219 €2,864
$417 PGK 1,826
671.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
13.67
-71.03%

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

Last update for Germany: October 19, 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
Germany
$703
Papua New Guinea
$495 29.5% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$410
Papua New Guinea
$222 45.8% $188
Groceries & Markets
Germany
$335
Papua New Guinea
$297 11.4% $38
Eating Out
Germany
$278
Papua New Guinea
$127 54.2% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$163
Papua New Guinea
$99 39.6% $65
Getting Around
Germany
$105
Papua New Guinea
$43 59.1% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$70
Papua New Guinea
$81 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $800 in Germany, $751 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,398 in Berlin vs $1,507 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $3,119 in Germany, $311 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 274% more in Germany.

Public transport is 843% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 903% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Germany
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
🕒 Local time
18:12 6:12 PM
02:12 2:12 AM
8 h ahead of Germany
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
84,358,845
8,935,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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
  • Germany Papua New Guinea 13,690 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Germany
  • 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
Germany vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Papua New Guinea?
At $2,065 per month in Germany and $1,364 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 51% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Germany or Papua New Guinea?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Germany and Papua New Guinea?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $800 in Germany and $751 in Papua New Guinea. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $1,500 go in Germany compared to Papua New Guinea?
In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Germany it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Papua New Guinea?
It depends on what you're after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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