Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mata Utu and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $44,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,241 per month in Mata Utu vs $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Mata Utu $5,241
Port Moresby $1,532

A couple spends around $6,656 per month in Mata Utu vs $2,418 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Mata Utu $6,656
Port Moresby $2,418

A family of three spends $8,071 per month in Mata Utu vs $3,305 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Mata Utu $8,071
Port Moresby $3,305

Mata Utu costs about 242% more than Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mata Utu and Port Moresby sit above the global median – Mata Utu by 291%, Port Moresby by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 CFPF 1,176

$7.76 PGK 33.98

42.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$43.89 PGK 192

152.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

Cappuccino

$7.68 CFPF 817

$2.44 PGK 10.69

214.75%

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

$5.73 CFPF 610

$0.77 PGK 3.38

644.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CFPF 350

$0.67 PGK 2.95

391.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CFPF 590

$3.56 PGK 15.59

55.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$11.17 CFPF 1,189

$2.33 PGK 10.20

379.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.43 CFPF 471

$1.29 PGK 5.64

243.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.77 CFPF 1,784

$6.26 PGK 27.45

167.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 CFPF 1,776

$10.73 PGK 47.04

55.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 CFPF 194

$0.94 PGK 4.13

94.68%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

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

$145 CFPF 15.4K

$117 PGK 513

23.57%

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

$112 CFPF 12.0K

$22.67 PGK 99.4

395.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3,335 CFPF 354.8K

$91.2 PGK 399

3558.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

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)

$836 PGK 3,665

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$220 CFPF 23.4K

$32.86 PGK 144

570.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.5 CFPF 9,736

$31.67 PGK 139

188.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$228 CFPF 24.3K

$136 PGK 595

68.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$283 CFPF 30.1K

$160 PGK 702

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CFPF 95.5K

$1,577 PGK 6,911

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 CFPF 97.1K

$551 PGK 2,414

65.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 CFPF 238.1K

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

-26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 CFPF 242.8K

$1,129 PGK 4,945

102.18%

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)

$3,338 CFPF 355.2K

$429 PGK 1,881

677.58%

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 Mata Utu: 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

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Groceries & Markets

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Eating Out

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Getting Around

Mata Utu

–

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $898 in Mata Utu 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 678% higher in Mata Utu, 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 $111 in Mata Utu versus $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries tell a different story – $131 in Mata Utu vs $320 in Port Moresby – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

2 h behind Mata Utu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200 Capital

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 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).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mata Utu Port Moresby 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mata Utu
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

Mata Utu vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $5,241 in Mata Utu, $1,532 in Port Moresby – roughly 242% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,862 per month in Mata Utu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Mata Utu and $44.00 in Port Moresby. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,241 in Mata Utu and $1,532 in Port Moresby. That's a gap of about 242%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Moresby, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Mata Utu at $5,241. In Port Moresby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu 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, Mata Utu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.