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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $682 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $984 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,286 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in India costs about 43% less than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ₹237

$7.87 PGK 34.33

-68.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.20 ₹1,353

$47.75 PGK 208

-70.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 ₹379

$5.90 PGK 25.72

-32.54%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ₹179

$2.31 PGK 10.08

-18.61%

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

$0.44 ₹41.98

$0.89 PGK 3.90

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹18.57

$0.75 PGK 3.26

-74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹192

$2.84 PGK 12.40

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₹329

$4.44 PGK 19.38

-22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.3

$1.97 PGK 8.61

-63.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.26

$1.58 PGK 6.88

-67.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.7

$1.48 PGK 6.44

-51.35%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.8

$3.89 PGK 16.95

-76.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 ₹499

$6.00 PGK 26.16

-12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ₹292

$6.63 PGK 28.92

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.43

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹207

$4.07 PGK 17.75

-46.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$2.74 PGK 11.97

-72.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹100

$4.91 PGK 21.42

-78.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$4.00 PGK 17.46

-86.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.53

$3.44 PGK 14.99

-88.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.81

$2.49 PGK 10.86

-80.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.35

$2.88 PGK 12.55

-81.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.13

$1.05 PGK 4.59

-68.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ₹386

$6.54 PGK 28.52

-38.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ₹704

$11.23 PGK 48.97

-34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₹175

$2.52 PGK 10.98

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₹277

$3.53 PGK 15.40

-17.85%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.59

$0.50 PGK 2.20

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ₹928

$27.86 PGK 122

-65.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹90.6

$5.28 PGK 23.04

-82.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.64

$2.48 PGK 10.84

-87.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ₹165

$16.94 PGK 73.9

-89.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹117

$1.11 PGK 4.84

10.81%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

-42.30%

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

$22.6K ₹2.2M

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

-27.69%

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

$40.88 ₹3,894

$102 PGK 447

-60.08%

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

$3.91 ₹372

$48.00 PGK 209

-91.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.81 ₹744

$213 PGK 928

-96.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.15 ₹1,538

$62.0 PGK 270

-73.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.49 ₹713

$12.34 PGK 53.8

-39.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 ₹326

$9.78 PGK 42.65

-65.03%

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

$69.9 ₹6,660

$434 PGK 1,893

-83.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,793 ₹170.8K

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

-56.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.83 ₹2,460

$35.81 PGK 156

-27.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.61 ₹2,535

$35.50 PGK 155

-25.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.24 ₹4,309

$68.5 PGK 299

-33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.68 ₹3,208

$66.6 PGK 291

-49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₹17.0K

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

-94.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$473 PGK 2,062

-75.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₹38.8K

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

-87.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.1K

$731 PGK 3,189

-63.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,240 ₹118.1K

$2,143 PGK 9,348

-42.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$631 ₹60.1K

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

-84.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ₹41.2K

$427 PGK 1,864

1.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

12.75

-29.25%

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

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $1,958 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $239 in Delhi vs $2,151 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $325 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1442% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 173% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 22% higher in India, giving India 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

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

At $576 per month in India and $845 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 47% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

India is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Papua New Guinea beats India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Papua New Guinea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. India wins on affordability; Papua New Guinea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.