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: $950 in New Caledonia versus $687 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in New Caledonia versus $987 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,982 in New Caledonia versus $1,287 in Papua New Guinea.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 29% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

$7.79 PGK 34.27

85.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

$47.76 PGK 210

101.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

$5.87 PGK 25.82

147.02%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CFPF 611

$2.32 PGK 10.23

153.02%

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

$2.49 CFPF 259

$0.84 PGK 3.69

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CFPF 111

$0.73 PGK 3.22

45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

$2.85 PGK 12.55

286.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CFPF 793

$4.66 PGK 20.51

63.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 122

$1.94 PGK 8.54

-39.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CFPF 321

$1.54 PGK 6.78

100.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CFPF 198

$1.51 PGK 6.62

25.83%

Eggs

$5.53 CFPF 576

$3.88 PGK 17.06

42.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

$6.26 PGK 27.53

204.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

$6.44 PGK 28.34

248.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

$9.18 PGK 40.39

187.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CFPF 437

$4.06 PGK 17.88

3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$7.33 CFPF 763

$2.74 PGK 12.07

167.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.68 CFPF 695

$4.75 PGK 20.91

40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 767

$3.83 PGK 16.85

92.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 CFPF 388

$3.31 PGK 14.58

12.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 CFPF 343

$2.53 PGK 11.13

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 CFPF 299

$2.99 PGK 13.15

-3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CFPF 160

$1.05 PGK 4.63

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

$6.35 PGK 27.96

208.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

$11.06 PGK 48.65

35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.19 CFPF 540

$2.60 PGK 11.44

99.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CFPF 632

$3.45 PGK 15.20

76.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$0.50 PGK 2.19

478.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

$28.57 PGK 126

121.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 CFPF 562

$5.48 PGK 24.13

-1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 CFPF 104

$2.43 PGK 10.69

-58.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

$16.47 PGK 72.5

52.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 176

$1.08 PGK 4.76

56.48%

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

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

43.19%

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

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

26.97%

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

$206 CFPF 21.5K

$101 PGK 445

104.01%

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

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

$48.55 PGK 214

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

$209 PGK 919

-72.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

$63.4 PGK 279

-3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 CFPF 785

$12.39 PGK 54.5

-39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

$9.39 PGK 41.30

36.32%

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

$793 CFPF 82.5K

$439 PGK 1,931

80.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.6K

$34.78 PGK 153

220.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

$36.12 PGK 159

59.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

$67.2 PGK 296

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 25.2K

$65.3 PGK 287

271.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 CFPF 78.2K

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

-75.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 CFPF 80.9K

$480 PGK 2,110

62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

-50.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

$712 PGK 3,132

90.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

$2,131 PGK 9,377

123.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

-8.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

$432 PGK 1,899

538.60%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $459 in New Caledonia, $1,962 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $805 in Noumea vs $2,203 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $2,814 in New Caledonia, $319 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 327% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 67% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 163% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 782% 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 $1,195 per month in New Caledonia and $851 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 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, $2,500 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.