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 $1,298 per month in Guam vs $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,801 per month in Guam vs $984 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,304 per month in Guam vs $1,286 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Guam costs about 90% more than 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

$20.14 $20.14

$7.87 PGK 34.40

155.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 $78.2

$47.75 PGK 209

63.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$5.90 PGK 25.78

101.36%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$2.31 PGK 10.10

140.69%

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

$1.86 $1.86

$0.89 PGK 3.91

108.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.75 PGK 3.27

94.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.84 PGK 12.43

92.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.44 PGK 19.42

60.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.97 PGK 8.63

66.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.58 PGK 6.89

271.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.48 PGK 6.46

245.95%

Eggs

$5.85 $5.85

$3.89 PGK 16.98

50.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.23 $26.23

$6.00 PGK 26.22

337.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$6.63 PGK 28.98

45.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$9.04 PGK 39.52

122.46%

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.07 PGK 17.79

103.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.74 PGK 11.99

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$4.91 PGK 21.47

62.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.05 $7.05

$4.00 PGK 17.50

76.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.44 PGK 15.03

10.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.49 PGK 10.88

38.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.88 PGK 12.58

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.05 PGK 4.60

118.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$6.54 PGK 28.58

38.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 $11.79

$11.23 PGK 49.08

4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.52 PGK 11.01

-11.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.50 PGK 2.20

458.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$27.86 PGK 122

95.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.77 $19.77

$5.28 PGK 23.09

274.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.50 $31.50

$16.94 PGK 74.1

85.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.11 PGK 4.85

25.23%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$24.0K PGK 104.9K

23.44%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

-5.45%

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

$364 $364

$102 PGK 448

255.22%

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

$85.7 $85.7

$48.00 PGK 210

78.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 $103

$213 PGK 930

-51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 $90.3

$62.0 PGK 271

45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 $26.30

$12.34 PGK 53.9

113.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 $13.33

$9.78 PGK 42.74

36.30%

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

$566 $566

$434 PGK 1,898

30.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K $28.5K

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

591.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 $72.0

$35.81 PGK 157

101.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 $66.3

$35.50 PGK 155

86.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$68.5 PGK 299

41.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$66.6 PGK 291

106.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

-36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$473 PGK 2,066

221.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

-9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 $2,504

$731 PGK 3,196

242.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,369

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 $298

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

-92.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,642 $4,642

$427 PGK 1,868

986.41%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $946 in Guam vs $1,958 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,855 in Hagatna and $2,151 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $4,914 in Guam vs $325 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 10% more in Guam.

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

Salaries are 1412% higher in Guam, giving Guam stronger purchasing power.

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 93% 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 93% 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.