Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihir Island and Melbourne

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Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Lihir Island

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

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

$3.12 A$4.50

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

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

$235 A$338

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

$27.45 A$39.51

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

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

$2,385 A$3,432

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Groceries & Markets

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Eating Out

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$171 6%

Getting Around

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Lihir Island

–

Melbourne

$86 3%

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lihir Island

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

1 h ahead of Lihir Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lihir Island Melbourne 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihir Island
Melbourne

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

Lihir Island vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Lihir Island – 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 Lihir Island. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.