Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port Moresby Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port Moresby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Port Moresby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,472 in Port Moresby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,255 in Port Moresby.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Port Moresby, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Port Moresby 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$9.84 PGK 42.93

33.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$47.81 PGK 209

12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.94 PGK 25.92

58.59%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.29 PGK 10.01

55.02%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.75 PGK 3.29

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.83 PGK 3.63

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.37 PGK 10.35

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$4.15 PGK 18.10

11.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.00 PGK 8.72

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.56 PGK 6.80

74.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.49 PGK 6.48

28.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.89 PGK 16.95

-34.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.56 PGK 19.88

119.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.41 PGK 27.97

26.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.34 PGK 40.72

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.98 PGK 17.34

-25.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.89 PGK 12.62

-37.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$5.58 PGK 24.34

-63.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$5.66 PGK 24.67

-64.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$3.40 PGK 14.81

-37.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.68 PGK 11.70

-15.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.96 PGK 12.89

-52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.32 PGK 5.74

-14.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.67 PGK 29.09

-35.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.88 PGK 51.8

30.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.88 PGK 12.58

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.82 PGK 16.65

-5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.47 PGK 2.04

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$23.77 PGK 104

-19.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$5.85 PGK 25.52

-76.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.40 PGK 10.49

-88.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$16.49 PGK 71.9

-66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 PGK 4.99

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.9K PGK 99.9K

-18.44%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$24.6K PGK 107.3K

-5.98%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$105 PGK 458

-61.06%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$46.75 PGK 204

-42.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$382 PGK 1,667

-92.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$67.2 PGK 293

-22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$20.62 PGK 89.9

30.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.73 PGK 42.44

-35.25%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$639 PGK 2,787

-31.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,095 PGK 17.9K

154.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$31.07 PGK 136

82.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$36.74 PGK 160

20.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$77.1 PGK 336

33.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$98.6 PGK 430

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$2,151 PGK 9,380

-52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$481 PGK 2,096

31.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$3,423 PGK 14.9K

-37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$826 PGK 3,603

50.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,127 PGK 9,275

83.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$3,892 PGK 17.0K

-46.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$446 PGK 1,945

150.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.33

-14.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $2,151 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $48.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $308, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Port Moresby differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,689 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 150% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $2,151 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 24% less than in Port Moresby. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $639 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Port Moresby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.