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 $1,113 per month in Guam vs $465 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,497 per month in Guam vs $741 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,881 per month in Guam vs $1,017 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Guam is about 139% 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 19% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$7.40 PGK 32.12

237.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$45.53 PGK 198

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$5.70 PGK 24.74

165.61%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$2.40 PGK 10.42

135.83%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$0.80 PGK 3.49

213.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.69 PGK 3.00

172.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.62 PGK 11.38

135.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$4.08 PGK 17.69

140.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.95 PGK 8.46

70.77%

White Bread (500g)

$6.61 $6.61

$1.47 PGK 6.38

349.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.42 PGK 6.17

71.13%

Eggs

$6.66 $6.66

$3.73 PGK 16.18

78.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.57 $23.57

$6.29 PGK 27.29

274.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.80 PGK 25.15

78.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$9.15 PGK 39.72

49.40%

Apples (1kg)

$7.15 $7.15

$3.98 PGK 17.27

79.65%

Banana (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.38 PGK 14.67

32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$5.94 PGK 25.78

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.05 PGK 21.91

60.79%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.73 PGK 16.19

34.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.51 PGK 10.88

85.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.80 PGK 7.82

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.02 PGK 4.44

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$6.15 PGK 26.70

62.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$11.01 PGK 47.80

7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.81 PGK 12.20

-13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.71 PGK 16.11

-28.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.47 PGK 2.04

529.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 $55.3

$26.44 PGK 115

109.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 $9.80

$5.20 PGK 22.56

88.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 PGK 9.90

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.58 $32.58

$14.84 PGK 64.4

119.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 PGK 4.43

34.31%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

33.27%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

32.02%

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

$387 $387

$96.6 PGK 419

300.50%

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

$80.9 $80.9

$27.50 PGK 119

194.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.3 $82.3

$118 PGK 514

-30.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.6 $77.6

$66.3 PGK 288

17.09%

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)

$564 $564

$536 PGK 2,326

5.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$36.70 PGK 159

61.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$100 $100

$31.22 PGK 136

221.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$68.6 PGK 298

49.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$92.9 PGK 403

41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,655 PGK 7,181

29.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$460 PGK 1,996

268.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 $2,879

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 $2,544

$1,086 PGK 4,713

134.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$297 $297

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

-92.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,626 $4,626

$421 PGK 1,829

997.78%

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 Guam: September 8, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $940 in Guam vs $787 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,181 in Hagatna and $1,627 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $4,933 in Guam vs $317 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in Guam.

Dining out costs 26% more in Guam.

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

Salaries are 1456% 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 88% 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 88% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.