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: $987 in New Caledonia versus $473 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,545 in New Caledonia versus $747 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,102 in New Caledonia versus $1,021 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 109% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 28% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 CFPF 2,220

$7.12 PGK 30.82

203.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CFPF 11.8K

$45.01 PGK 195

155.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.40 CFPF 1,480

$5.80 PGK 25.09

148.28%

Cappuccino

$4.65 CFPF 478

$2.39 PGK 10.36

94.56%

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

$2.07 CFPF 213

$0.80 PGK 3.46

158.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CFPF 131

$0.68 PGK 2.94

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.46 CFPF 972

$2.77 PGK 11.98

241.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 CFPF 760

$4.15 PGK 17.97

78.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 126

$1.85 PGK 7.99

-34.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 CFPF 373

$1.54 PGK 6.66

135.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 CFPF 239

$1.40 PGK 6.07

66.43%

Eggs

$6.61 CFPF 679

$3.70 PGK 16.00

78.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.55 CFPF 3,139

$6.41 PGK 27.74

376.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.27 CFPF 3,008

$5.76 PGK 24.95

408.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.78 CFPF 2,957

$9.06 PGK 39.23

217.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CFPF 510

$3.96 PGK 17.14

25.51%

Banana (1kg)

$7.44 CFPF 765

$3.42 PGK 14.80

117.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.22 CFPF 639

$6.23 PGK 26.97

-0.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.26 CFPF 849

$4.90 PGK 21.19

68.57%

Potato (1kg)

$5.72 CFPF 588

$3.59 PGK 15.53

59.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 CFPF 395

$2.47 PGK 10.68

55.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.25 CFPF 436

$1.79 PGK 7.74

137.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CFPF 155

$1.07 PGK 4.62

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.42 CFPF 1,995

$6.23 PGK 26.96

211.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CFPF 1,613

$11.04 PGK 47.78

42.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.98 CFPF 615

$2.82 PGK 12.22

112.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PGK 16.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 CFPF 515

$0.44 PGK 1.90

1038.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.99 PGK 112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 CFPF 728

$5.11 PGK 22.10

38.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 CFPF 120

$2.23 PGK 9.67

-47.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.49 CFPF 2,208

$14.45 PGK 62.6

48.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 174

$0.99 PGK 4.29

70.71%

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

$34.1K CFPF 3.5M

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

53.33%

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

$38.4K CFPF 3.9M

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

63.28%

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

$199 CFPF 20.5K

$94.1 PGK 407

111.79%

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

$45.09 CFPF 4,633

$28.27 PGK 122

59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 CFPF 5,636

$120 PGK 520

-54.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CFPF 5,476

$64.8 PGK 280

-17.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.83 CFPF 908

$20.94 PGK 90.7

-57.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 CFPF 1,526

$9.21 PGK 39.87

61.24%

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

$782 CFPF 80.4K

$534 PGK 2,313

46.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,649 CFPF 991.5K

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

70.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 CFPF 11.9K

$35.36 PGK 153

226.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CFPF 6,979

$31.17 PGK 135

117.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CFPF 10.1K

$69.2 PGK 299

41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$263 CFPF 27.1K

$93.4 PGK 404

182.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 78.2K

$1,654 PGK 7,161

-54.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 CFPF 81.7K

$456 PGK 1,972

74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 CFPF 163.1K

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

-38.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 CFPF 144.7K

$1,058 PGK 4,580

33.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 CFPF 507.9K

$2,049 PGK 8,867

141.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 CFPF 364.8K

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

-8.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,815 CFPF 289.3K

$416 PGK 1,799

577.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

13.67

-77.10%

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

Last update for New Caledonia: August 30, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $458 in New Caledonia, $780 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $785 in Noumea vs $1,657 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $2,896 in New Caledonia, $317 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 195% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 814% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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 $1,251 per month in New Caledonia and $778 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 61% 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 Papua New Guinea: 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 is consistently higher than in 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, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in New Caledonia 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: 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.