Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Palmerston North $1,562
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Palmerston North $2,537
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Palmerston North $3,511
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 6% 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: Palmerston North 16% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$7.76 PGK 33.97

73.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$44.08 PGK 193

44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$5.61 PGK 24.55

56.86%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$2.54 PGK 11.13

23.23%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$0.74 PGK 3.23

218.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$0.69 PGK 3.00

143.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$3.03 PGK 13.28

112.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$3.68 PGK 16.10

77.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.83 PGK 8.02

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.50 PGK 6.55

42.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.36 PGK 5.97

0.74%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$3.74 PGK 16.38

29.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-28.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$4.94 PGK 21.64

92.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$9.55 PGK 41.82

12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-42.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-31.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-68.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-14.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-54.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-71.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-26.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-43.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$6.51 PGK 28.52

238.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$2.70 PGK 11.83

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$0.47 PGK 2.05

736.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$22.74 PGK 99.5

261.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-61.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-20.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$14.72 PGK 64.4

12.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.00 PGK 4.38

64.00%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-57.50%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

38.04%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$118 PGK 516

-42.09%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$20.84 PGK 91.2

53.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$82.2 PGK 360

-57.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$61.7 PGK 270

-64.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$22.19 PGK 97.1

-36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$8.80 PGK 38.51

31.82%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$563 PGK 2,465

83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

37.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$35.46 PGK 155

96.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$33.95 PGK 149

-18.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$69.7 PGK 305

19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$96.3 PGK 422

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$564 PGK 2,470

13.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-44.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,182 PGK 5,172

10.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$2,085 PGK 9,129

-3.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

-51.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$427 PGK 1,870

484.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

12.17

-55.71%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 11.6% $74

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 13% $37

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 41% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 63.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 10.4% $12

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 62.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 76.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 484% 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: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $320, with Palmerston North cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

3 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

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

Palmerston North Port Moresby 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

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

Palmerston North and Port Moresby differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,562 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 484% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North versus $563 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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, Palmerston North 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 6% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.