Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Majuro and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $2,127 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,127

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Majuro 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 Majuro and in Port Moresby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Majuro vs $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Majuro $2,127
Port Moresby $1,532

A couple spends around $2,970 per month in Majuro vs $2,418 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Majuro $2,970
Port Moresby $2,418

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Majuro vs $3,305 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Majuro $3,812
Port Moresby $3,305

Majuro costs about 39% more than Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Majuro and Port Moresby sit above the global median – Majuro by 59%, Port Moresby by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 $9.92

$7.76 PGK 33.98

27.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 $29.92

$43.89 PGK 192

-31.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 $10.56

$5.38 PGK 23.58

96.28%

Cappuccino

$4.35 $4.35

$2.44 PGK 10.69

78.28%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$0.77 PGK 3.38

132.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.67 PGK 2.95

201.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.91 PGK 12.74

53.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.56 PGK 15.59

44.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.82 PGK 7.97

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.54 PGK 6.74

123.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.39 PGK 6.09

27.34%

Eggs

$5.14 $5.14

$3.62 PGK 15.86

41.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.83 $30.83

$8.64 PGK 37.85

256.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$5.60 PGK 24.55

97.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$9.92 PGK 43.46

81.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.21 PGK 18.45

1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.12 PGK 13.67

128.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$7.01 PGK 30.72

27.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$6.56 PGK 28.75

95.73%

Potato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.40 PGK 14.92

51.76%

Onion (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.92 PGK 12.79

91.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.33 PGK 10.20

62.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.29 PGK 5.64

45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.26 PGK 27.45

-4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 $9.99

$10.73 PGK 47.04

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.51 PGK 15.38

-28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.42 PGK 1.86

592.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-50.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 $5.11

$15.47 PGK 67.8

-66.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.94 PGK 4.13

88.30%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

-48.96%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

101.67%

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

$252 $252

$117 PGK 513

115.23%

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

$37.28 $37.28

$22.67 PGK 99.4

64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 $80.2

$91.2 PGK 399

-12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 $37.80

$60.2 PGK 264

-37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

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

$148 $148

$836 PGK 3,665

-82.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,635 $2,635

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

-57.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 $70.8

$32.86 PGK 144

115.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 $40.02

$31.67 PGK 139

26.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.23 $30.23

$136 PGK 595

-77.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 $50.1

$160 PGK 702

-68.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$1,577 PGK 6,911

-49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 $883

$551 PGK 2,414

60.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$1,129 PGK 4,945

11.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,007 $1,007

$429 PGK 1,881

134.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

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

Last update for Majuro: October 5, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Majuro

$883 41.2%

Port Moresby

$551 36.3% 37.6% $332

Groceries & Markets

Majuro

$540 * 25.2%

Port Moresby

$320 21.1% 40.7% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Majuro

$370 17.3%

Port Moresby

$231 15.2% 37.5% $139

Eating Out

Majuro

$211 9.9%

Port Moresby

$135 8.9% 36.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Majuro

$86 4%

Port Moresby

$162 10.7% 88.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Majuro

$38 * 1.8%

Port Moresby

$78 5.1% 106% $40

Getting Around

Majuro

$14 * 0.7%

Port Moresby

$40 2.7% 182% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Majuro versus $1,577 in Port Moresby. 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 135% higher in Majuro, 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 $30.00 in Majuro versus $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries tell a different story – $540 in Majuro vs $320 in Port Moresby – so Port Moresby wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Majuro

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

2 h behind Majuro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,000 Capital

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

PGK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Majuro Port Moresby 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Majuro
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

Majuro vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,190 per month in Majuro and $2,298 in Port Moresby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Moresby, 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 $2,127 in Majuro and $1,532 in Port Moresby. That's a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $148 per month in Majuro and $836 in Port Moresby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Moresby, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Majuro at $2,127. In Port Moresby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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