Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $840 a month against $1,731 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index

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Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,731

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hastings and in Lae

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Hastings vs $840 in Lae, rent included.

Hastings $1,731
Lae $840

A couple spends around $2,526 per month in Hastings vs $1,503 in Lae, rent included.

Hastings $2,526
Lae $1,503

A family of three spends $3,322 per month in Hastings vs $2,166 in Lae, rent included.

Hastings $3,322
Lae $2,166

Hastings costs about 106% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Hastings sits 28% above the global median, while Lae is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 NZ$19.55

$24.73 PGK 108

-55.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 NZ$98.5

$52.0 PGK 228

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

Cappuccino

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$2.71 PGK 11.87

12.92%

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

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$0.76 PGK 3.34

146.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 NZ$2.41

$0.58 PGK 2.53

134.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 NZ$7.67

$3.32 PGK 14.51

30.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 NZ$9.75

$5.36 PGK 23.46

2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 NZ$2.50

$1.95 PGK 8.55

-27.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$1.48 PGK 6.48

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 NZ$3.05

$1.26 PGK 5.52

36.51%

Eggs

$5.45 NZ$9.64

$4.05 PGK 17.74

34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$9.34 PGK 40.89

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 NZ$12.90

$9.34 PGK 40.88

-21.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.45 NZ$20.26

$10.59 PGK 46.37

8.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.71

$4.40 PGK 19.24

-39.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$2.78 PGK 12.16

-30.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.42

$6.13 PGK 26.82

-50.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$1.62 PGK 7.08

103.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$3.51 PGK 15.39

-48.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 NZ$1.85

$2.28 PGK 9.99

-53.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$0.65 PGK 2.85

123.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.60

$0.86 PGK 3.76

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.62 NZ$31.16

$6.63 PGK 29.01

165.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 NZ$16.06

$12.12 PGK 53.1

-25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$7.11

$2.60 PGK 11.39

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.14

$4.33 PGK 18.94

-32.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 NZ$4.79

$0.35 PGK 1.54

674.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 NZ$145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 NZ$6.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 NZ$4.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.32 NZ$58.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$1.04 PGK 4.55

53.85%

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

$27.0K NZ$47.7K

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

$22.7K NZ$40.1K

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

$190 NZ$335

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

$36.05 NZ$63.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 NZ$105

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 NZ$49.48

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 NZ$17.55

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

$679 NZ$1,200

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.05 NZ$81.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 NZ$66.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 NZ$168

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 NZ$161

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 NZ$1,426

$447 PGK 1,956

80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 NZ$1,243

$269 PGK 1,176

161.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 NZ$2,687

$1,248 PGK 5,465

21.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 NZ$1,997

$619 PGK 2,711

82.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,051 NZ$8,933

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,061 NZ$5,414

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,589 NZ$2,810

$154 PGK 674

932.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

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

Last update for Hastings: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hastings

$703 40.6%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hastings

$285 16.5%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Hastings

$266 15.4%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Hastings

$198 11.4%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Hastings

$121 7%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Hastings

$110 6.4%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Hastings

$48 2.8%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $806 in Hastings versus $447 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 933% higher in Hastings, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Hastings versus $52.0 in Lae. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Hastings vs $307 in Lae – so Hastings wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hastings

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

3 h behind Hastings

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,100

250,948

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hastings Lae 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hastings
Lae

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

Hastings vs Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 106% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Hastings and $1,260 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Hastings and $840 in Lae. That's a gap of about 106%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Hastings – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Hastings at $1,731. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lae – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.