Cost of Living Comparison Between Northern Mariana Islands and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Northern Mariana Islands and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,800 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $695 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,625 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $1,001 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,450 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $1,306 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Northern Mariana Islands is roughly 159% more expensive than Papua New Guinea on average.

Northern Mariana Islands (34% above) and Papua New Guinea (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Northern Mariana Islands: monthly costs span $1,800 to $1,800, compared to $0–$1,732 in Papua New Guinea. City choice carries more weight in Northern Mariana Islands.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.44 $11.44

$7.95 PGK 34.99

43.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.39 $39.39

$47.31 PGK 208

-16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$5.88 PGK 25.87

107.31%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$2.35 PGK 10.33

115.32%

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

$1.69 $1.69

$0.85 PGK 3.74

98.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.79 PGK 3.47

72.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.93 PGK 12.89

101.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$4.67 PGK 20.56

29.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.01 PGK 8.82

10.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.53 PGK 6.72

115.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$44.58 $44.58

$1.47 PGK 6.49

2932.65%

Eggs

$6.29 $6.29

$3.86 PGK 16.96

62.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 PGK 27.74

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$6.36 PGK 27.99

110.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 PGK 40.56

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.06 PGK 17.85

61.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.81 PGK 12.36

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.69 PGK 20.64

39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.36

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.29 PGK 14.46

-35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.51 PGK 11.06

-6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.86 PGK 12.59

72.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 PGK 29.10

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$11.20 PGK 49.28

33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 PGK 11.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.42

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 $6.65

$5.27 PGK 23.18

26.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.40 PGK 10.55

-20.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 PGK 74.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.11 PGK 4.89

28.83%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$23.6K PGK 103.8K

56.66%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.0K PGK 136.3K

-25.18%

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

$332 $332

$102 PGK 450

224.64%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$49.38 PGK 217

31.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$215 PGK 947

-71.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.48 $47.48

$63.3 PGK 278

-24.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 PGK 54.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 $7.82

$9.72 PGK 42.78

-19.55%

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

$435 PGK 1,915

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,054 $6,054

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

48.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.07 $30.07

$34.64 PGK 152

-13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$35.11 PGK 154

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$68.8 PGK 303

2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.9 $53.9

$67.0 PGK 295

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 $631

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

-79.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 $444

$487 PGK 2,143

-8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 $1,047

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

-67.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 $979

$709 PGK 3,118

38.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

223.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,017 $1,017

$399 PGK 1,755

154.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for Northern Mariana Islands: April 21, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $628 in Northern Mariana Islands, $1,993 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $628 in Saipan vs $2,146 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $994 in Northern Mariana Islands, $303 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 217% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 33% more in Northern Mariana Islands.

Salaries are 228% higher in Northern Mariana Islands, giving Northern Mariana Islands 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

Northern Mariana Islands vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,800 per month in Northern Mariana Islands and $866 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 108% 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 Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands, 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; Northern Mariana Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.