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: $1,745 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $682 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,545 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $992 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,344 in Northern Mariana Islands versus $1,301 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Northern Mariana Islands is roughly 156% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 $11.64

$7.63 PGK 33.65

52.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.35 $39.35

$48.86 PGK 215

-19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$6.02 PGK 26.54

101.99%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$2.43 PGK 10.72

108.64%

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

$1.72 $1.72

$0.91 PGK 4.02

89.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.80 PGK 3.55

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.94 PGK 12.95

101.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.67 PGK 20.58

30.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.91 PGK 8.45

15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.52 PGK 6.68

117.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$45.53 $45.53

$1.45 PGK 6.38

3040.00%

Eggs

$6.39 $6.39

$3.89 PGK 17.18

64.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 PGK 27.81

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$6.61 PGK 29.14

102.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 PGK 38.98

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.01 PGK 17.67

64.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.74 PGK 12.08

-21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$4.80 PGK 21.17

38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 PGK 17.61

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.42 PGK 15.07

-39.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.47 PGK 10.91

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.03 PGK 13.34

67.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 PGK 29.13

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$11.21 PGK 49.44

36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 PGK 11.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 PGK 126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 $6.64

$5.41 PGK 23.87

22.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.48 PGK 10.94

-22.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 PGK 74.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.07 PGK 4.72

34.58%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$24.4K PGK 107.4K

49.66%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

-27.31%

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

$328 $328

$102 PGK 452

219.67%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$48.82 PGK 215

30.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$211 PGK 929

-71.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.25 $48.25

$63.8 PGK 281

-24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.19 PGK 53.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 $7.85

$9.67 PGK 42.64

-18.82%

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

$443 PGK 1,954

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,987 $5,987

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

44.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.31 $30.31

$35.58 PGK 157

-14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 $39.95

$35.79 PGK 158

11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$67.4 PGK 297

4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 $55.1

$66.7 PGK 294

-17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 $630

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

-79.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 $449

$479 PGK 2,113

-6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 $1,037

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

-67.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 $960

$727 PGK 3,206

32.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,075 PGK 9,154

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

236.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 $989

$415 PGK 1,829

138.35%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $624 in Northern Mariana Islands, $1,985 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $624 in Saipan vs $2,194 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $1,003 in Northern Mariana Islands, $315 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 218% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 37% more in Northern Mariana Islands.

Salaries are 218% higher in Northern Mariana Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Northern Mariana Islands.

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 $1,745 per month in Northern Mariana Islands and $837 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.

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 Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands 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; Northern Mariana Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.