Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $1,469 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Masterton versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Masterton $832
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,432 in Masterton versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Masterton $1,432
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Masterton versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Masterton $2,032
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Masterton costs roughly 43% less than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Masterton is 38% below, Port Moresby is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 NZ$16.88

$7.76 PGK 33.97

22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$44.08 PGK 193

47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$5.61 PGK 24.55

52.58%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NZ$5.62

$2.54 PGK 11.13

25.20%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$0.74 PGK 3.23

172.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$0.69 PGK 3.00

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 NZ$6.88

$3.03 PGK 13.28

28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.79

$3.68 PGK 16.10

-10.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$1.83 PGK 8.02

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$1.50 PGK 6.55

47.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$1.36 PGK 5.97

-24.26%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$11.17

$3.74 PGK 16.38

68.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.65

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 NZ$16.76

$4.94 PGK 21.64

91.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NZ$26.85

$9.55 PGK 41.82

58.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-50.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.27

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-59.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NZ$8.11

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-29.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-50.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 NZ$1.90

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-63.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.92

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-60.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.51 NZ$34.50

$6.51 PGK 28.52

199.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 NZ$19.83

$10.94 PGK 47.88

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NZ$1.50

$2.70 PGK 11.83

-68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-67.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$0.47 PGK 2.05

374.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-63.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.16 NZ$60.4

$14.72 PGK 64.4

132.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.12

$1.00 PGK 4.38

77.00%

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

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-56.56%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

43.25%

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

$55.0 NZ$97.3

$118 PGK 516

-53.29%

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

$29.34 NZ$51.9

$20.84 PGK 91.2

40.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$93.3

$82.2 PGK 360

-35.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

$61.7 PGK 270

-32.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 NZ$15.06

$22.19 PGK 97.1

-61.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$17.12

$8.80 PGK 38.51

10.00%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

$563 PGK 2,465

87.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

103.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 NZ$98.3

$35.46 PGK 155

56.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 NZ$48.79

$33.95 PGK 149

-18.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$69.7 PGK 305

47.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$251

$96.3 PGK 422

47.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 NZ$1,773

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 NZ$4,115

$427 PGK 1,870

444.81%

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 Masterton: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$288 34.7%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 11% $32

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.5%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 22.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$147 17.7%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 28.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$137 16.5%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 61.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.4%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 29.8% $18

Getting Around

Masterton

$19 * 2.3%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 110% $21

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 445% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Masterton vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $320, with Masterton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

3 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

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

Masterton Port Moresby 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
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

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

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 445% higher in Masterton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $832 per month in Masterton versus $1,469 in Port Moresby – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Masterton versus $1,469 in Port Moresby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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, Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.