Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lower Hutt and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $2,199 in Lower Hutt, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lower Hutt
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Lower Hutt Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Lower Hutt

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,199

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lower Hutt and in Port Moresby

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,199 in Lower Hutt versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Lower Hutt $2,199
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,027 in Lower Hutt versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Lower Hutt $3,027
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,854 in Lower Hutt versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Lower Hutt $3,854
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Lower Hutt is roughly 50% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lower Hutt 63% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 NZ$18.43

$7.76 PGK 33.97

34.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.22 NZ$58.8

$44.08 PGK 193

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 NZ$16.21

$5.61 PGK 24.55

63.46%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NZ$5.28

$2.54 PGK 11.13

17.72%

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

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$0.74 PGK 3.23

167.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$2.99

$0.69 PGK 3.00

144.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 NZ$4.86

$3.03 PGK 13.28

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.74

$3.68 PGK 16.10

80.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$1.83 PGK 8.02

1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.50 PGK 6.55

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.26

$1.36 PGK 5.97

36.03%

Eggs

$6.98 NZ$12.34

$3.74 PGK 16.38

86.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 NZ$15.00

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-5.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$14.59

$4.94 PGK 21.64

67.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 NZ$21.95

$9.55 PGK 41.82

29.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-35.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.56

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-38.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$5.18

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-59.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NZ$7.70

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-32.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.69

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-32.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.26

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-57.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-12.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.09

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-11.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.53 NZ$29.24

$6.51 PGK 28.52

153.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 NZ$15.01

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$2.70 PGK 11.83

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NZ$4.97

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-20.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 NZ$4.74

$0.47 PGK 2.05

470.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.5 NZ$156

$22.74 PGK 99.5

289.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-63.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.71 NZ$59.6

$14.72 PGK 64.4

129.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.00 PGK 4.38

64.00%

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

$25.3K NZ$44.7K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-50.20%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

42.72%

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

$144 NZ$254

$118 PGK 516

22.01%

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

$32.73 NZ$57.9

$20.84 PGK 91.2

57.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.7

$82.2 PGK 360

-36.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.70 NZ$68.5

$61.7 PGK 270

-37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$9.59 NZ$16.96

$8.80 PGK 38.51

8.98%

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

$683 NZ$1,208

$563 PGK 2,465

21.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K NZ$19.6K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

77.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 NZ$138

$35.46 PGK 155

119.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 NZ$50.0

$33.95 PGK 149

-16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NZ$178

$69.7 PGK 305

44.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NZ$252

$96.3 PGK 422

48.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NZ$2,469

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 NZ$2,039

$564 PGK 2,470

104.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 NZ$3,617

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-28.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 NZ$2,923

$1,182 PGK 5,172

39.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,821 NZ$8,526

$2,085 PGK 9,129

131.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,282 NZ$5,804

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

-13.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,100 NZ$5,482

$427 PGK 1,870

625.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

12.17

-55.71%

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

Last update for Lower Hutt: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lower Hutt

$1.2K 52.4%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 51% $589

Groceries & Markets

Lower Hutt

$304 13.8%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 5.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lower Hutt

$229 10.4%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 3.5% $8.1

Eating Out

Lower Hutt

$188 8.6%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 26.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Lower Hutt

$157 7.2%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 32.7% $51

Getting Around

Lower Hutt

$110 5%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 62.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Lower Hutt

$58 2.6%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 37% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,396 in Lower Hutt and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lower Hutt pays 626% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lower Hutt vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $320 per month, with Lower Hutt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Lower Hutt

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

23:59 11:59 PM

3 h behind Lower Hutt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,800

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lower Hutt Port Moresby 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lower Hutt
Port Moresby

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

Lower Hutt vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 626% higher in Lower Hutt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,396 in Lower Hutt versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Moresby runs roughly 289% less than in Lower Hutt. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $683 in Lower Hutt versus $563 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $2,199 in Lower Hutt, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Lower Hutt. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lower Hutt and Port Moresby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Lower Hutt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.