For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,375 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Italy and in Papua New Guinea
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Italy and in Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $1,375 in Papua New Guinea.
Italy $1,843
Papua New Guinea $1,375
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $2,177 in Papua New Guinea.
Italy $2,816
Papua New Guinea $2,177
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $2,979 in Papua New Guinea.
Italy $3,788
Papua New Guinea $2,979
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $817–$1,427 in Papua New Guinea. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 34% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46€18.38
$7.09PGK 30.77
188.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5€71.4
$44.44PGK 193
78.89%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.15€10.02
$5.49PGK 23.84
103.10%
Cappuccino
$2.04€1.83
$2.29PGK 9.97
-10.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10€2.79
$0.78PGK 3.38
297.44%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.26
$0.66PGK 2.85
112.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.51€4.95
$2.59PGK 11.24
112.74%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.16
$4.04PGK 17.55
42.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.41
$1.86PGK 8.07
-15.59%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.14
$1.48PGK 6.42
60.81%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.90€2.60
$1.37PGK 5.93
111.68%
Eggs
$4.07€3.66
$3.72PGK 16.14
9.41%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.44€15.67
$6.26PGK 27.20
178.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.56€11.28
$5.72PGK 24.86
119.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.17€18.12
$8.88PGK 38.57
127.14%
Apples(1kg)
$2.58€2.32
$4.00PGK 17.37
-35.50%
Banana(1kg)
$2.19€1.97
$3.33PGK 14.47
-34.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.68€2.41
$6.08PGK 26.42
-55.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.27€2.94
$5.24PGK 22.74
-37.60%
Potato(1kg)
$1.90€1.71
$3.18PGK 13.79
-40.25%
Onion(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$2.73PGK 11.86
-33.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.57€1.41
$2.01PGK 8.74
-21.89%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$1.18PGK 5.12
-53.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69€6.01
$6.33PGK 27.47
5.69%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.99€7.18
$10.82PGK 47.00
-26.16%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77€1.59
$2.43PGK 10.55
-27.16%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35€2.11
$3.63PGK 15.75
-35.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.91€1.72
$0.42PGK 1.84
354.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.44€39.03
$26.21PGK 114
65.74%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.62€5.05
$5.04PGK 21.91
11.51%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.54
$2.16PGK 9.39
-20.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.64€30.22
$12.21PGK 53.0
175.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.82
$1.02PGK 4.45
99.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K€31.7K
$28.1KPGK 122.2K
25.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K€33.0K
$22.2KPGK 96.5K
65.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$227€204
$94.0PGK 408
141.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59€10.41
$24.78PGK 108
-53.23%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.30
$106PGK 460
-71.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.8€46.52
$64.7PGK 281
-19.96%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70€21.29
$23.49PGK 102
0.89%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60€9.53
$8.85PGK 38.45
19.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€510
$503PGK 2,186
12.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.4K
$5,538PGK 24.1K
108.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5€81.3
$36.04PGK 157
151.19%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55€34.64
$33.40PGK 145
15.42%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$103€92.2
$61.8PGK 268
66.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€118
$85.3PGK 370
53.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826€742
$1,367PGK 5,939
-39.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$646€581
$503PGK 2,184
28.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,400€1,258
$2,690PGK 11.7K
-47.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,054€947
$1,070PGK 4,647
-1.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,662€3,290
$2,036PGK 8,843
79.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,301€2,068
$3,661PGK 15.9K
-37.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,886€1,695
$415PGK 1,803
354.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
13.67
-73.96%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026
Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646 35.1%
Papua New Guinea
$503 36.6% ↓ 22.2%$143
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348 18.9%
Papua New Guinea
$296 21.6% ↓ 14.8%$51
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$279 15.1%
Papua New Guinea
$127 9.3% ↓ 54.3%$151
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269 14.6%
Papua New Guinea
$225 16.3% ↓ 16.3%$44
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
Papua New Guinea
$97 7.1% ↓ 40.3%$66
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73 4%
Papua New Guinea
$82 6% ↑ 12.9%$9.4
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.5%
Papua New Guinea
$44 3.2% ↓ 32.9%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1.1K 27.8%
Papua New Guinea
$1.1K 35.9% ↑ 1.5%$16
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$823 21.7%
Papua New Guinea
$689 23.1% ↓ 16.3%$134
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$964 25.5%
Papua New Guinea
$478 16% ↓ 50.5%$487
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$280 7.4%
Papua New Guinea
$249 8.4% ↓ 11%$31
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$363 9.6%
Papua New Guinea
$216 7.3% ↓ 40.3%$146
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$170 4.5%
Papua New Guinea
$188 6.3% ↑ 11%$19
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
Papua New Guinea
$88 3% ↓ 34.2%$46
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $1,741 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $1,451 in Port Moresby.
💰National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $312 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 139% higher in Papua New Guinea.
⭐Dining out costs 74% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 65% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 6.1 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
Italy→Papua New Guinea14,320 km≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
Italy
Papua New Guinea
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
Italy vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Papua New Guinea?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, there’s a 34% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Should I move to Italy or to Papua New Guinea?
It depends on what you’re after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.