Cost of Living Comparison Between Guam and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Guam and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,292 per month in Guam vs $677 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,797 per month in Guam vs $982 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,302 per month in Guam vs $1,287 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Guam is about 91% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Guam and Papua New Guinea are more affordable than the global median – Guam 3% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 $20.40

$7.73 PGK 34.10

163.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 $76.9

$48.15 PGK 212

59.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$5.85 PGK 25.78

103.25%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$2.30 PGK 10.15

145.22%

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

$1.84 $1.84

$0.90 PGK 3.95

104.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.75 PGK 3.29

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.95 PGK 12.99

81.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.59 PGK 20.23

52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.98 PGK 8.74

64.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.58 PGK 6.98

270.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.51 PGK 6.65

229.80%

Eggs

$5.83 $5.83

$3.76 PGK 16.56

55.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.26 $26.26

$6.32 PGK 27.85

315.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$6.66 PGK 29.38

44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$9.15 PGK 40.37

117.16%

Apples (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.06 PGK 17.89

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.73 PGK 12.03

17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$4.92 PGK 21.68

61.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.02 PGK 17.74

68.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.45 PGK 15.21

7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.42 PGK 10.67

40.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.85 PGK 12.59

19.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.07 PGK 4.71

112.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.29 $9.29

$6.34 PGK 27.97

46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 $12.08

$10.92 PGK 48.17

10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.62 PGK 11.56

-13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.55 PGK 15.66

-31.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.47 PGK 2.06

497.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 $54.5

$28.26 PGK 125

92.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.30 $20.30

$5.51 PGK 24.31

268.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 11.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$17.09 PGK 75.4

87.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.12 PGK 4.93

24.11%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$24.1K PGK 106.4K

22.05%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$30.8K PGK 136.0K

-1.62%

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

$366 $366

$101 PGK 446

261.41%

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

$83.4 $83.4

$48.45 PGK 214

72.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 $103

$211 PGK 929

-51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 $90.7

$63.0 PGK 278

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$12.44 PGK 54.9

110.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 $13.54

$9.80 PGK 43.23

38.16%

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

$558 $558

$432 PGK 1,907

28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K $28.9K

$4,080 PGK 18.0K

608.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 $74.4

$35.65 PGK 157

108.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 $64.8

$36.24 PGK 160

78.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 $97.0

$68.4 PGK 302

41.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$65.9 PGK 290

113.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 $1,892

$3,043 PGK 13.4K

-37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 $1,500

$474 PGK 2,092

216.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,993 $2,993

$3,153 PGK 13.9K

-5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$713 PGK 3,143

253.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,088 PGK 9,207

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$302 $302

$3,779 PGK 16.7K

-92.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,611 $4,611

$420 PGK 1,852

998.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

12.75

-66.90%

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

Last update for Guam: July 21, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $946 in Guam vs $1,987 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,822 in Hagatna and $2,149 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $4,941 in Guam vs $318 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 1454% higher in Guam, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guam.

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

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 89% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Guam, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Guam consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 89% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Guam it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea 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.