Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $694 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,002 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,217 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,310 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,249 in Australia, rent included.

Papua New Guinea is roughly 68% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 48% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 33.95

$16.24 A$22.57

-52.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 PGK 208

$77.1 A$107

-38.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 PGK 26.40

$9.81 A$13.64

-38.33%

Cappuccino

$2.37 PGK 10.35

$3.58 A$4.97

-33.80%

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

$0.86 PGK 3.76

$2.57 A$3.57

-66.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 PGK 3.51

$2.18 A$3.03

-62.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PGK 12.26

$6.63 A$9.22

-57.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 PGK 20.14

$7.12 A$9.90

-35.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.31

$1.50 A$2.09

27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 PGK 6.94

$2.53 A$3.51

-37.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 PGK 6.69

$2.07 A$2.88

-26.09%

Eggs

$3.86 PGK 16.83

$4.29 A$5.96

-10.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.40

$8.65 A$12.02

-27.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 PGK 28.65

$8.34 A$11.60

-21.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 PGK 38.49

$13.90 A$19.33

-36.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 PGK 17.86

$3.30 A$4.58

24.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 PGK 11.97

$2.77 A$3.85

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 PGK 20.23

$2.95 A$4.10

57.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 PGK 16.92

$4.19 A$5.83

-7.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 PGK 15.03

$2.42 A$3.36

42.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.87

$2.10 A$2.92

18.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 PGK 13.15

$2.26 A$3.14

33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.64

$1.50 A$2.09

-28.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 PGK 28.74

$31.58 A$43.90

-79.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 PGK 50.0

$14.29 A$19.86

-19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.08

$4.59 A$6.38

-44.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.25

$4.82 A$6.70

-27.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.00

$3.02 A$4.19

-84.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.12 PGK 123

$98.3 A$137

-71.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 PGK 23.43

$3.48 A$4.84

54.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 PGK 11.04

$1.75 A$2.43

44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 PGK 73.1

$37.97 A$52.8

-55.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.90

$1.21 A$1.68

-7.44%

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

$23.8K PGK 103.6K

$29.0K A$40.4K

-18.15%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

$22.6K A$31.4K

38.80%

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

$105 PGK 456

$177 A$247

-40.96%

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

$48.53 PGK 212

$26.85 A$37.32

80.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 927

$52.4 A$72.9

305.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 PGK 272

$47.57 A$66.1

31.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 PGK 53.9

$16.46 A$22.88

-24.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 PGK 40.68

$13.73 A$19.09

-32.05%

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

$432 PGK 1,884

$1,593 A$2,215

-72.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,092 PGK 17.8K

$12.7K A$17.7K

-67.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.91 PGK 152

$72.0 A$100

-51.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.19 PGK 158

$51.3 A$71.3

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 PGK 296

$103 A$143

-34.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 PGK 291

$108 A$151

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,145 PGK 13.7K

$1,401 A$1,947

124.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 PGK 2,066

$1,080 A$1,501

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,179 PGK 13.9K

$2,340 A$3,253

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 PGK 3,089

$1,756 A$2,441

-59.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 PGK 11.6K

$7,733 A$10.7K

-65.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,855 PGK 16.8K

$5,563 A$7,733

-30.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 PGK 1,757

$4,000 A$5,560

-89.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

6.35

100.79%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 28, 2026

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,963 in Papua New Guinea vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,200 in Port Moresby and $1,529 in Canberra.

Average salary: $297 in Papua New Guinea vs $3,878 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 157% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1206% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

Papua New Guinea vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 155% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 155% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.