Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Napier and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $2,192 in Napier, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Napier
Learn more

Napier Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
Learn more

Port Moresby Living Index

Jump to prices

Napier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,192

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,192 in Napier versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Napier $2,192
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Napier versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Napier $3,179
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,165 in Napier versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Napier $4,165
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Napier is roughly 49% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Napier 62% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.79 NZ$33.22

$7.76 PGK 33.97

142.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 NZ$163

$44.08 PGK 193

109.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 NZ$16.72

$5.61 PGK 24.55

68.63%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$2.54 PGK 11.13

29.92%

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

$2.19 NZ$3.88

$0.74 PGK 3.23

195.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$0.69 PGK 3.00

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 NZ$11.57

$3.03 PGK 13.28

115.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 NZ$10.10

$3.68 PGK 16.10

55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.83

$1.83 PGK 8.02

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 NZ$2.58

$1.50 PGK 6.55

-2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 NZ$2.58

$1.36 PGK 5.97

7.35%

Eggs

$5.85 NZ$10.35

$3.74 PGK 16.38

56.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 NZ$13.05

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 NZ$14.85

$4.94 PGK 21.64

70.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 NZ$22.04

$9.55 PGK 41.82

30.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-49.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 NZ$2.83

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-51.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.44

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-57.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$5.06

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-55.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.06

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-43.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.48

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-18.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.16

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.90 NZ$35.20

$6.51 PGK 28.52

205.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 NZ$14.47

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.43

$2.70 PGK 11.83

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NZ$4.29

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 NZ$3.05

$0.47 PGK 2.05

268.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 NZ$146

$22.74 PGK 99.5

262.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 NZ$3.99

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-54.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-16.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.98 NZ$54.8

$14.72 PGK 64.4

110.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 NZ$2.77

$1.00 PGK 4.38

57.00%

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

$25.3K NZ$44.8K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-50.05%

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

$23.5K NZ$41.6K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

35.83%

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

$186 NZ$328

$118 PGK 516

57.67%

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

$34.40 NZ$60.8

$20.84 PGK 91.2

65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 NZ$85.9

$82.2 PGK 360

-40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.97 NZ$58.3

$61.7 PGK 270

-46.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.51 NZ$18.58

$22.19 PGK 97.1

-52.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 NZ$14.70

$8.80 PGK 38.51

-5.57%

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

$660 NZ$1,167

$563 PGK 2,465

17.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NZ$29.3K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

165.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NZ$188

$35.46 PGK 155

200.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 NZ$94.1

$33.95 PGK 149

56.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$183

$69.7 PGK 305

48.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 NZ$210

$96.3 PGK 422

23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NZ$2,143

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-20.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 NZ$1,849

$564 PGK 2,470

85.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 NZ$2,928

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 NZ$2,640

$1,182 PGK 5,172

26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,715 NZ$8,339

$2,085 PGK 9,129

126.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,238 NZ$5,726

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

-14.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,953 NZ$5,223

$427 PGK 1,870

591.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

12.17

-46.26%

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

Last update for Napier: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Napier

$1K 47.7%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 46% $481

Eating Out

Napier

$280 12.8%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 50.9% $143

Groceries & Markets

Napier

$275 12.6%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 16.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Napier

$269 12.3%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 17.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Napier

$172 7.8%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 38.4% $66

Getting Around

Napier

$101 4.6%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 59.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Napier

$50 2.3%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 60% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Napier and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Napier pays 592% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $92.0 in Napier vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $320, with Napier cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Napier

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

03:39 3:39 AM

3 h behind Napier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Napier Port Moresby 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Napier
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

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

Port Moresby is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 592% higher in Napier, 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: $1,212 in Napier versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Moresby runs roughly 262% less than in Napier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $660 in Napier versus $563 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $2,192 in Napier, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Napier. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby 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, Napier 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Napier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.