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 $690 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $985 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,280 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,253 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 49% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 33.79

$16.44 A$23.33

-52.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.39 PGK 204

$78.1 A$111

-39.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 PGK 25.65

$9.94 A$14.11

-39.94%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 9.94

$3.60 A$5.10

-35.83%

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

$0.87 PGK 3.72

$2.68 A$3.80

-67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.23

$2.14 A$3.03

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PGK 12.05

$6.53 A$9.26

-56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 PGK 19.26

$7.05 A$10.00

-36.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.19

$1.58 A$2.24

20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.78

$2.53 A$3.59

-37.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 PGK 6.28

$2.07 A$2.94

-29.47%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.70

$4.30 A$6.11

-9.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 PGK 26.72

$9.03 A$12.81

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 PGK 28.06

$8.55 A$12.13

-23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 PGK 38.52

$13.96 A$19.80

-35.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 PGK 17.28

$3.18 A$4.51

26.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 PGK 12.12

$2.84 A$4.03

-0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 PGK 20.66

$2.95 A$4.18

63.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 PGK 16.94

$4.43 A$6.29

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 14.80

$2.46 A$3.48

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.71

$2.17 A$3.08

14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 PGK 12.43

$2.29 A$3.25

26.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.54

$1.57 A$2.23

-32.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 PGK 27.23

$30.87 A$43.79

-79.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 PGK 47.64

$14.06 A$19.94

-21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 PGK 10.89

$4.55 A$6.45

-44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.02

$4.81 A$6.83

-27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.13

$2.87 A$4.07

-82.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 PGK 123

$95.8 A$136

-70.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.31

$3.65 A$5.17

48.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 10.72

$1.76 A$2.50

42.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 PGK 72.9

$38.27 A$54.3

-55.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.83

$1.15 A$1.63

-2.61%

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

$23.8K PGK 102.2K

$28.4K A$40.3K

-16.14%

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

$31.5K PGK 135.2K

$23.0K A$32.6K

36.82%

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

$101 PGK 434

$178 A$253

-43.27%

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

$49.27 PGK 212

$26.46 A$37.53

86.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$212 PGK 912

$54.1 A$76.8

292.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 PGK 270

$46.64 A$66.2

34.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.50 PGK 53.7

$16.54 A$23.47

-24.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 PGK 40.93

$13.65 A$19.36

-30.18%

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

$445 PGK 1,913

$1,575 A$2,234

-71.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,038 PGK 17.3K

$12.7K A$18.0K

-68.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 PGK 154

$71.5 A$101

-49.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 PGK 151

$50.8 A$72.1

-30.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 PGK 295

$100 A$142

-31.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.5 PGK 286

$108 A$153

-38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 PGK 13.1K

$1,384 A$1,963

120.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 PGK 2,043

$1,105 A$1,568

-56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,132 PGK 13.5K

$2,298 A$3,260

36.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 PGK 3,116

$1,728 A$2,451

-58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,082 PGK 8,943

$7,610 A$10.8K

-72.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,827 PGK 16.4K

$5,504 A$7,808

-30.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 PGK 1,817

$4,002 A$5,677

-89.43%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,944 in Papua New Guinea vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,149 in Port Moresby and $1,568 in Canberra.

Average salary: $319 in Papua New Guinea vs $3,845 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 157% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1105% 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 157% 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 157% 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.