Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Shore and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $2,119 in North Shore, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in North Shore
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North Shore Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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North Shore

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,119

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,119 in North Shore versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

North Shore $2,119
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,933 in North Shore versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

North Shore $2,933
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,746 in North Shore versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

North Shore $3,746
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in North Shore is roughly 44% 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: North Shore 57% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$7.76 PGK 33.97

81.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 NZ$130

$44.08 PGK 193

66.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 NZ$14.96

$5.61 PGK 24.55

50.80%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.78

$2.54 PGK 11.13

28.74%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$0.74 PGK 3.23

160.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.15

$0.69 PGK 3.00

157.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 NZ$11.55

$3.03 PGK 13.28

115.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 NZ$9.92

$3.68 PGK 16.10

52.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$1.83 PGK 8.02

-12.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 NZ$2.29

$1.50 PGK 6.55

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.33

$1.36 PGK 5.97

38.97%

Eggs

$5.68 NZ$10.05

$3.74 PGK 16.38

51.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 NZ$13.69

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 NZ$17.72

$4.94 PGK 21.64

102.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.56 NZ$20.45

$9.55 PGK 41.82

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 NZ$4.63

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-40.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-37.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.56

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-56.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 NZ$10.33

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.67

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-49.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 NZ$4.22

$2.35 PGK 10.29

1.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 NZ$1.68

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.48 NZ$45.06

$6.51 PGK 28.52

291.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 NZ$18.26

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.84

$2.70 PGK 11.83

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NZ$5.90

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 NZ$3.90

$0.47 PGK 2.05

370.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 NZ$105

$22.74 PGK 99.5

161.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-54.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.39

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.25 NZ$57.0

$14.72 PGK 64.4

119.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$1.00 PGK 4.38

71.00%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-50.00%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.5K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

28.99%

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

$181 NZ$321

$118 PGK 516

53.91%

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

$26.42 NZ$46.73

$20.84 PGK 91.2

26.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 NZ$89.5

$82.2 PGK 360

-38.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.16 NZ$48.03

$61.7 PGK 270

-56.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$13.05 NZ$23.07

$8.80 PGK 38.51

48.30%

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

$672 NZ$1,188

$563 PGK 2,465

19.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NZ$25.5K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

131.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 NZ$122

$35.46 PGK 155

94.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 NZ$67.0

$33.95 PGK 149

11.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$69.7 PGK 305

33.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NZ$182

$96.3 PGK 422

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 NZ$2,303

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 NZ$1,856

$564 PGK 2,470

85.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 NZ$4,029

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-20.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,369

$1,182 PGK 5,172

13.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,194 NZ$12.7K

$2,085 PGK 9,129

244.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,028 NZ$10.7K

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

59.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,774 NZ$4,905

$427 PGK 1,870

549.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

12.17

-45.52%

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

Last update for North Shore: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Shore

$1K 49.5%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 46.2% $485

Groceries & Markets

North Shore

$306 14.4%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 4.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Shore

$258 12.2%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 14.5% $38

Eating Out

North Shore

$236 11.1%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 41.7% $98

Clothing & Footwear

North Shore

$136 6.4%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 22.3% $30

Getting Around

North Shore

$80 3.8%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 49.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

North Shore

$53 2.5%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 49% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in North Shore and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays 549% 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: $73.0 in North Shore vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $320, with North Shore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 North Shore

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h behind North Shore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,697

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

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Between locations

North Shore Port Moresby 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

North Shore
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

North Shore vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Shore and Port Moresby differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,119 vs $1,469 including rent). Port Moresby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 549% higher in North Shore, 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: $1,302 in North Shore versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Moresby – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $73.0 in North Shore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,119 per month in North Shore versus $1,469 in Port Moresby – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $2,119 in North Shore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in North Shore. 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, North Shore 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 44% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.