Cost of Living Comparison Between Nauru and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Nauru and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Nauru versus $465 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Nauru versus $741 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,447 in Nauru versus $1,017 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Nauru is roughly 15% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Nauru 61% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 A$15.18

$7.40 PGK 32.12

47.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 A$35.86

$45.53 PGK 198

-43.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.13

$5.70 PGK 24.74

90.35%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$4.97

$2.40 PGK 10.42

48.75%

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

$1.05 A$1.47

$0.80 PGK 3.49

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 A$1.52

$0.69 PGK 3.00

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.25

$2.62 PGK 11.38

180.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.25

$4.08 PGK 17.69

27.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 A$4.41

$1.95 PGK 8.46

62.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 A$2.58

$1.47 PGK 6.38

25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.17

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.18

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.29

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 PGK 25.15

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 39.72

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 PGK 17.27

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 PGK 14.67

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 PGK 25.78

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 PGK 21.91

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.08

$3.73 PGK 16.19

-2.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 A$4.96

$2.51 PGK 10.88

41.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 A$5.13

$1.80 PGK 7.82

104.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PGK 4.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 PGK 26.70

Wine (Bottle)

$18.08 A$25.21

$11.01 PGK 47.80

64.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 PGK 12.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 A$1.97

$0.47 PGK 2.04

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.9 A$124

$26.44 PGK 115

236.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 A$9.89

$5.20 PGK 22.56

36.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 A$4.90

$2.28 PGK 9.90

53.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.62 A$59.4

$14.84 PGK 64.4

187.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 A$2.48

$1.02 PGK 4.43

74.51%

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

$36.7K A$51.2K

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

65.69%

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

$11.0K A$15.3K

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

-53.10%

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

$434 A$606

$96.6 PGK 419

349.69%

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

$7.33 A$10.23

$27.50 PGK 119

-73.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 A$40.47

$118 PGK 514

-75.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$0.01 A$0.01

$66.3 PGK 288

-99.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.49 A$20.21

$20.17 PGK 87.5

-28.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 A$10.16

$8.81 PGK 38.21

-17.37%

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

$359 A$500

$536 PGK 2,326

-33.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K A$15.1K

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

91.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.35 A$20.01

$36.70 PGK 159

-60.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.98 A$15.31

$31.22 PGK 136

-64.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.42 A$50.8

$68.6 PGK 298

-46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 A$100

$92.9 PGK 403

-22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 A$4,064

$1,655 PGK 7,181

76.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 PGK 1,996

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,237 A$7,301

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

98.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,366 A$6,087

$1,086 PGK 4,713

302.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 PGK 1,829

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

-70.74%

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

Last update for Nauru: September 8, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $2,879 in Nauru, $787 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $2,879 in Yaren vs $1,627 in Port Moresby.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 266% higher in Nauru.

Dining out costs 32% more in Nauru.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Nauru.

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

Nauru vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $537 per month in Nauru and $754 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 40% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Nauru: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Papua New Guinea is consistently higher than in Nauru across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Nauru, $800 covers most cities easily; in Papua New Guinea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Nauru wins on affordability; Papua New Guinea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.