Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lae and Invercargill

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $840 a month against $1,412 in Invercargill, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index

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Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$840

/mo nomad

Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lae and in Invercargill

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

A single person spends $840 per month in Lae vs $1,412 in Invercargill, rent included.

Lae $840
Invercargill $1,412

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Lae vs $2,099 in Invercargill, rent included.

Lae $1,503
Invercargill $2,099

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Lae vs $2,785 in Invercargill, rent included.

Lae $2,166
Invercargill $2,785

Lae is about 41% cheaper than Invercargill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lae sits 38% below the global median, while Invercargill is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 PGK 108

$14.04 NZ$24.83

76.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 PGK 228

$61.2 NZ$108

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 NZ$14.71

Cappuccino

$2.71 PGK 11.87

$3.12 NZ$5.52

-13.14%

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

$0.76 PGK 3.34

$1.65 NZ$2.92

-53.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 PGK 2.53

$2.03 NZ$3.60

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 PGK 14.51

$2.74 NZ$4.85

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PGK 23.46

$2.74 NZ$4.85

95.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.55

$1.68 NZ$2.96

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 PGK 6.48

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PGK 5.52

$1.76 NZ$3.11

-28.41%

Eggs

$4.05 PGK 17.74

$5.58 NZ$9.87

-27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 PGK 40.89

$8.23 NZ$14.55

13.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 PGK 40.88

$8.83 NZ$15.61

5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PGK 46.37

$12.12 NZ$21.44

-12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 PGK 19.24

$2.55 NZ$4.50

72.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 PGK 12.16

$2.36 NZ$4.17

17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 PGK 26.82

$2.66 NZ$4.70

130.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 PGK 7.08

$3.52 NZ$6.23

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$3.21 NZ$5.68

9.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 PGK 9.99

$1.61 NZ$2.85

41.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 PGK 2.85

$2.33 NZ$4.13

-72.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PGK 3.76

$1.04 NZ$1.84

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 PGK 29.01

$20.39 NZ$36.06

-67.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 PGK 53.1

$8.56 NZ$15.14

41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.39

$2.86 NZ$5.06

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PGK 18.94

$3.39 NZ$5.99

27.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 PGK 1.54

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-75.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 NZ$49.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 PGK 4.55

$1.59 NZ$2.81

-34.59%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

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

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

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

$109 NZ$192

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

$32.30 NZ$57.1

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 NZ$75.1

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 NZ$24.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 NZ$15.60

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

$589 NZ$1,042

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 NZ$102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 NZ$62.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 NZ$124

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 NZ$140

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 PGK 1,956

$594 NZ$1,050

-24.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 PGK 1,176

$551 NZ$974

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 PGK 5,465

$831 NZ$1,470

50.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 PGK 2,711

$764 NZ$1,350

-18.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,482 NZ$9,695

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,034 NZ$8,902

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$154 PGK 674

$2,729 NZ$4,826

-94.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

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

Last update for Lae: October 10, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lae

–

Invercargill

$551 39%

Groceries & Markets

Lae

–

Invercargill

$298 21.1%

Eating Out

Lae

–

Invercargill

$209 14.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lae

–

Invercargill

$183 13%

Clothing & Footwear

Lae

–

Invercargill

$109 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Lae

–

Invercargill

$46 3.2%

Getting Around

Lae

–

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $447 in Lae versus $594 in Invercargill. 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 1674% higher in Invercargill, 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 $52.0 in Lae versus $61.0 in Invercargill. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Lae vs $298 in Invercargill – so Invercargill wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lae

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

3 h ahead of Lae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,948

56,200

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

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).

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).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lae Invercargill 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lae
Invercargill

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

Lae vs Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 68% 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 $1,260 per month in Lae and $2,119 in Invercargill. 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 $840 in Lae and $1,412 in Invercargill. That's a gap of about 68%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Invercargill – 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 Invercargill at $1,412. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill 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, Invercargill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.