Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,375 a month against $1,762 in the Northern Mariana Islands, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea Living Index

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🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands

$1,762

/mo nomad

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Northern Mariana Islands and in Papua New Guinea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Northern Mariana Islands and in Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,762 in the Northern Mariana Islands versus $1,375 in Papua New Guinea.

Northern Mariana Islands $1,762
Papua New Guinea $1,375

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,580 in the Northern Mariana Islands versus $2,177 in Papua New Guinea.

Northern Mariana Islands $2,580
Papua New Guinea $2,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,399 in the Northern Mariana Islands versus $2,979 in Papua New Guinea.

Northern Mariana Islands $3,399
Papua New Guinea $2,979

Internal cost variation is higher in Papua New Guinea: monthly costs span $817 to $1,427, compared to $1,749–$1,749 in the Northern Mariana Islands. City choice carries more weight in Papua New Guinea.

Living in the Northern Mariana Islands is roughly 28% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$7.09 PGK 30.79

108.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 $43.03

$44.44 PGK 193

-3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.22 $14.22

$5.49 PGK 23.85

159.02%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$2.29 PGK 9.97

135.81%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$0.78 PGK 3.38

158.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.66 PGK 2.85

110.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.59 PGK 11.25

135.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 $7.36

$4.04 PGK 17.56

82.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.86 PGK 8.08

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.48 PGK 6.42

283.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$45.28 $45.28

$1.37 PGK 5.93

3205.11%

Eggs

$6.05 $6.05

$3.72 PGK 16.15

62.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.21

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.30 $13.30

$5.72 PGK 24.87

132.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$8.88 PGK 38.58

-24.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$4.00 PGK 17.37

62.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 PGK 14.48

Oranges (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$6.08 PGK 26.44

6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 PGK 22.75

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.18 PGK 13.80

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.73 PGK 11.87

-19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.01 PGK 8.74

146.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PGK 5.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 PGK 27.48

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$10.82 PGK 47.02

40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 PGK 10.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 PGK 15.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 PGK 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.04 PGK 21.92

-2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 PGK 9.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 PGK 53.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.02 PGK 4.45

42.16%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.1K PGK 122.3K

28.96%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$22.2K PGK 96.6K

-2.24%

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

$377 $377

$94.0 PGK 408

300.70%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$24.78 PGK 108

141.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 $91.2

$106 PGK 460

-13.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 $61.1

$64.7 PGK 281

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 PGK 102

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 PGK 38.47

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

$503 PGK 2,187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 PGK 24.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.04 PGK 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 PGK 145

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 PGK 268

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.86 $39.86

$85.3 PGK 371

-53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 $815

$1,367 PGK 5,942

-40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 $373

$503 PGK 2,185

-25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 $780

$2,690 PGK 11.7K

-70.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 $808

$1,070 PGK 4,649

-24.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 PGK 8,847

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,661 PGK 15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 $991

$415 PGK 1,803

138.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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

Last update for the Northern Mariana Islands: October 25, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$503 36.6%

Groceries & Markets

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$296 21.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.3%

Eating Out

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$97 7.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$82 6%

Getting Around

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Papua New Guinea

$44 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $794 in the Northern Mariana Islands, $1,741 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $794 in Saipan vs $1,451 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $1,005 in the Northern Mariana Islands, $312 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are about 3.2 times higher in the Northern Mariana Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Good to know

🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

Same time as the Northern Mariana Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,329

8,935,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 4.35 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.86 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

PGK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Northern Mariana Islands Papua New Guinea 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Northern Mariana Islands
Papua New Guinea

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

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

At $1,762 per month in the Northern Mariana Islands and $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea comes out about 22% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.