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: $365 in India versus $473 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $579 in India versus $747 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in India versus $1,021 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in India costs about 23% less than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹195

$7.12 PGK 30.82

-71.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 ₹1,004

$45.01 PGK 195

-76.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₹350

$5.80 PGK 25.09

-36.21%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₹164

$2.39 PGK 10.36

-27.20%

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

$0.37 ₹35.14

$0.80 PGK 3.46

-53.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.26

$0.68 PGK 2.94

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹182

$2.77 PGK 11.98

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹289

$4.15 PGK 17.97

-26.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.6

$1.85 PGK 7.99

-66.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.45

$1.54 PGK 6.66

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.8

$1.40 PGK 6.07

-55.00%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹88.5

$3.70 PGK 16.00

-74.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₹441

$6.41 PGK 27.74

-27.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹272

$5.76 PGK 24.95

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.23

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₹180

$3.96 PGK 17.14

-51.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ₹60.6

$3.42 PGK 14.80

-81.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$6.23 PGK 26.97

-84.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹47.90

$4.90 PGK 21.19

-89.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.92

$3.59 PGK 15.53

-90.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.68

$2.47 PGK 10.68

-83.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹45.45

$1.79 PGK 7.74

-73.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.27

$1.07 PGK 4.62

-72.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 ₹464

$6.23 PGK 26.96

-21.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ₹687

$11.04 PGK 47.78

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹156

$2.82 PGK 12.22

-41.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹251

$3.80 PGK 16.45

-30.00%

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

$5.22 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$0.44 PGK 1.90

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.45 ₹798

$25.99 PGK 112

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 ₹90.9

$5.11 PGK 22.10

-81.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.74

$2.23 PGK 9.67

-87.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹151

$14.45 PGK 62.6

-88.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$0.99 PGK 4.29

13.13%

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

$12.7K ₹1.2M

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

-42.87%

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

$20.4K ₹1.9M

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

-13.22%

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

$37.48 ₹3,541

$94.1 PGK 407

-60.18%

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

$3.50 ₹331

$28.27 PGK 122

-87.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₹676

$120 PGK 520

-94.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 ₹1,398

$64.8 PGK 280

-77.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 ₹669

$20.94 PGK 90.7

-66.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₹289

$9.21 PGK 39.87

-66.78%

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

$57.0 ₹5,382

$534 PGK 2,313

-89.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,679 ₹158.6K

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

-70.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 ₹2,131

$35.36 PGK 153

-36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,271

$31.17 PGK 135

-22.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.60 ₹3,836

$69.2 PGK 299

-41.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.39 ₹2,871

$93.4 PGK 404

-67.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₹13.7K

$1,654 PGK 7,161

-91.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.4 ₹8,631

$456 PGK 1,972

-79.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₹31.6K

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

-87.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₹19.8K

$1,058 PGK 4,580

-80.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,233 ₹116.5K

$2,049 PGK 8,867

-39.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 ₹59.1K

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

-83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 ₹41.9K

$416 PGK 1,799

6.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

13.67

-34.60%

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

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $780 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $272 in Delhi vs $1,657 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $408 in India, $317 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 550% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 90% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 29% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 $529 per month in India and $778 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.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.