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: $1,762 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $690 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,560 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $985 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,358 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $1,280 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Northern Mariana Islands is roughly 155% more expensive than Papua New Guinea on average.

Northern Mariana Islands (31% above) and Papua New Guinea (49% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 $11.62

$7.87 PGK 33.79

47.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.65 $39.65

$47.39 PGK 204

-16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$5.97 PGK 25.65

101.34%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$2.31 PGK 9.94

115.15%

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

$1.70 $1.70

$0.87 PGK 3.72

95.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.75 PGK 3.23

78.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.81 PGK 12.05

116.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.48 PGK 19.26

31.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.91 PGK 8.19

13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.58 PGK 6.78

116.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$45.48 $45.48

$1.46 PGK 6.28

3015.07%

Eggs

$6.51 $6.51

$3.89 PGK 16.70

67.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 PGK 26.72

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$6.53 PGK 28.06

99.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 PGK 38.52

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$4.02 PGK 17.28

65.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.82 PGK 12.12

-24.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$4.81 PGK 20.66

40.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 PGK 16.94

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.44 PGK 14.80

-38.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.49 PGK 10.71

-7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.00 $5.00

$2.89 PGK 12.43

73.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 PGK 27.23

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.09 PGK 47.64

37.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 PGK 10.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 PGK 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 $6.56

$5.43 PGK 23.31

20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.50 PGK 10.72

-27.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 PGK 72.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.12 PGK 4.83

26.79%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$23.8K PGK 102.2K

57.05%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.5K PGK 135.2K

-26.38%

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

$335 $335

$101 PGK 434

232.23%

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

$64.1 $64.1

$49.27 PGK 212

30.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$212 PGK 912

-72.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 $47.98

$62.8 PGK 270

-23.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.50 PGK 53.7

Cinema Ticket

$8.07 $8.07

$9.53 PGK 40.93

-15.32%

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

$445 PGK 1,913

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,015 $6,015

$4,038 PGK 17.3K

48.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.46 $29.46

$35.92 PGK 154

-17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$35.10 PGK 151

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$68.7 PGK 295

2.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 $54.3

$66.5 PGK 286

-18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$3,052 PGK 13.1K

-79.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 $446

$475 PGK 2,043

-6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 $1,064

$3,132 PGK 13.5K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 $950

$725 PGK 3,116

31.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,082 PGK 8,943

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K $13.1K

$3,827 PGK 16.4K

243.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$999 $999

$423 PGK 1,817

136.17%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $621 in Northern Mariana Islands, $1,944 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $621 in Saipan vs $2,149 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $1,018 in Northern Mariana Islands, $319 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 213% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 37% more in Northern Mariana Islands.

Salaries are 219% 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 $1,762 per month in Northern Mariana Islands and $863 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 104% 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.