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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in New Caledonia versus $682 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in New Caledonia versus $984 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,981 in New Caledonia versus $1,286 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 38% more expensive than Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 30% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.73 CFPF 1,504

$7.87 PGK 34.33

87.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.2 CFPF 9,931

$47.75 PGK 208

103.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 CFPF 1,477

$5.90 PGK 25.72

145.08%

Cappuccino

$5.82 CFPF 594

$2.31 PGK 10.08

151.95%

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

$2.40 CFPF 245

$0.89 PGK 3.90

169.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 113

$0.75 PGK 3.26

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 CFPF 1,145

$2.84 PGK 12.40

294.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 CFPF 757

$4.44 PGK 19.38

66.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 CFPF 127

$1.97 PGK 8.61

-37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 CFPF 315

$1.58 PGK 6.88

94.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 CFPF 196

$1.48 PGK 6.44

29.73%

Eggs

$5.72 CFPF 585

$3.89 PGK 16.95

47.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 CFPF 1,940

$6.00 PGK 26.16

216.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.36 CFPF 2,284

$6.63 PGK 28.92

237.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 CFPF 2,609

$9.04 PGK 39.43

182.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CFPF 430

$4.07 PGK 17.75

3.44%

Banana (1kg)

$7.19 CFPF 734

$2.74 PGK 11.97

162.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.84 CFPF 698

$4.91 PGK 21.42

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 753

$4.00 PGK 17.46

84.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 CFPF 397

$3.44 PGK 14.99

13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 CFPF 332

$2.49 PGK 10.86

30.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CFPF 305

$2.88 PGK 12.55

3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CFPF 155

$1.05 PGK 4.59

44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.29 CFPF 1,970

$6.54 PGK 28.52

194.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 CFPF 1,567

$11.23 PGK 48.97

36.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 CFPF 552

$2.52 PGK 10.98

114.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CFPF 612

$3.53 PGK 15.40

69.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CFPF 300

$0.50 PGK 2.20

486.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CFPF 6,355

$27.86 PGK 122

123.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 CFPF 547

$5.28 PGK 23.04

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CFPF 103

$2.48 PGK 10.84

-59.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.33 CFPF 2,587

$16.94 PGK 73.9

49.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 173

$1.11 PGK 4.84

52.25%

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

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

42.39%

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

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

25.86%

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

$203 CFPF 20.7K

$102 PGK 447

98.18%

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

$40.52 CFPF 4,139

$48.00 PGK 209

-15.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CFPF 5,801

$213 PGK 928

-73.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CFPF 6,261

$62.0 PGK 270

-1.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 CFPF 806

$12.34 PGK 53.8

-36.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 CFPF 1,318

$9.78 PGK 42.65

31.90%

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

$786 CFPF 80.3K

$434 PGK 1,893

81.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.3K

$35.81 PGK 156

208.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 CFPF 5,837

$35.50 PGK 155

60.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 CFPF 9,485

$68.5 PGK 299

35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 24.8K

$66.6 PGK 291

264.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 CFPF 77.8K

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

-74.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 CFPF 80.2K

$473 PGK 2,062

66.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CFPF 165.0K

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

-49.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 CFPF 134.2K

$731 PGK 3,189

79.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,845 CFPF 495.0K

$2,143 PGK 9,348

126.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,596 CFPF 367.3K

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

-9.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,822 CFPF 288.2K

$427 PGK 1,864

560.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

12.75

-81.73%

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

Last update for New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $458 in New Caledonia, $1,958 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $785 in Noumea vs $2,151 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $2,889 in New Caledonia, $325 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 328% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 70% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 163% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 789% higher in New Caledonia, giving New Caledonia stronger purchasing power.

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

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

At $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $845 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.

Papua New Guinea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 New Caledonia beats Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Papua New Guinea, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In New Caledonia, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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