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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,702 in Port Moresby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,442 in Port Moresby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,181 in Port Moresby.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 14% less than in Port Moresby, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Port Moresby 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$9.40 PGK 41.38

39.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$48.47 PGK 213

10.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.87 PGK 25.84

64.91%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.29 PGK 10.09

63.32%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.80 PGK 3.53

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.78 PGK 3.45

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.45 PGK 10.76

31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$4.13 PGK 18.15

14.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.93 PGK 8.51

-14.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.60 PGK 7.02

71.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.49 PGK 6.55

25.50%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$3.75 PGK 16.49

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$4.53 PGK 19.91

125.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.22 PGK 27.35

32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.76 PGK 42.96

21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$4.07 PGK 17.90

-26.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.82 PGK 12.39

-35.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$5.70 PGK 25.08

-64.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$5.41 PGK 23.81

-63.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$3.25 PGK 14.29

-36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.78 PGK 12.21

-18.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$3.08 PGK 13.55

-52.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.27 PGK 5.58

-14.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$6.99 PGK 30.74

-37.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$11.86 PGK 52.2

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.82 PGK 12.39

-38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.83 PGK 16.84

-6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.50 PGK 2.20

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$23.88 PGK 105

-21.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$6.10 PGK 26.85

-78.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$2.44 PGK 10.73

-88.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$17.09 PGK 75.2

-69.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.14 PGK 5.00

17.54%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$22.3K PGK 98.2K

-13.03%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$24.9K PGK 109.4K

-4.14%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$108 PGK 475

-62.28%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$47.63 PGK 210

-43.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$377 PGK 1,657

-91.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$66.5 PGK 293

-20.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$20.71 PGK 91.1

28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$9.84 PGK 43.29

-33.84%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$633 PGK 2,786

-32.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,013 PGK 17.7K

161.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$31.33 PGK 138

82.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$37.00 PGK 163

22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$76.2 PGK 335

36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$97.2 PGK 428

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$2,203 PGK 9,694

-54.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$478 PGK 2,102

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$3,447 PGK 15.2K

-38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$840 PGK 3,694

45.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,088 PGK 9,188

86.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$3,904 PGK 17.2K

-47.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$439 PGK 1,932

136.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $2,203 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 136% 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 $292 vs $306, 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,702 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $2,203 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 28% less than in Port Moresby. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $633 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,702 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 17% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.