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 $465 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,547 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $741 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,678 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,017 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,808 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 82% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 66% below the global median, while Australia is 85% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 PGK 32.12

$17.74 A$24.73

-58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.53 PGK 198

$86.9 A$121

-47.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 PGK 24.74

$11.35 A$15.82

-49.78%

Cappuccino

$2.40 PGK 10.42

$3.99 A$5.57

-39.85%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.49

$2.97 A$4.14

-73.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$2.51 A$3.50

-72.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 PGK 11.38

$7.75 A$10.80

-66.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PGK 17.69

$8.07 A$11.25

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.46

$1.76 A$2.46

10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 PGK 6.38

$2.87 A$4.00

-48.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.17

$2.37 A$3.31

-40.08%

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.18

$5.11 A$7.13

-27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.29

$10.13 A$14.13

-37.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 PGK 25.15

$9.57 A$13.35

-39.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 39.72

$15.59 A$21.74

-41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 PGK 17.27

$3.83 A$5.34

3.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 PGK 14.67

$3.13 A$4.36

7.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 PGK 25.78

$3.35 A$4.67

77.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 PGK 21.91

$4.88 A$6.80

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 PGK 16.19

$2.92 A$4.07

27.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 10.88

$2.36 A$3.29

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 PGK 7.82

$2.46 A$3.43

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PGK 4.44

$1.70 A$2.38

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 PGK 26.70

$39.46 A$55.0

-84.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 PGK 47.80

$14.69 A$20.48

-25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 PGK 12.20

$5.07 A$7.07

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.11

$5.36 A$7.48

-30.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.04

$2.84 A$3.96

-83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 PGK 115

$97.3 A$136

-72.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 PGK 22.56

$3.56 A$4.96

46.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.90

$1.68 A$2.34

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 PGK 64.4

$40.94 A$57.1

-63.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.43

$1.35 A$1.88

-24.44%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

$29.1K A$40.5K

-23.68%

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

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

$29.5K A$41.1K

-20.71%

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

$96.6 PGK 419

$207 A$289

-53.44%

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

$27.50 PGK 119

$29.34 A$40.91

-6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 PGK 514

$60.0 A$83.7

97.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 PGK 288

$59.3 A$82.6

11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 PGK 87.5

$20.28 A$28.27

-0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 PGK 38.21

$16.04 A$22.36

-45.07%

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

$536 PGK 2,326

$2,194 A$3,059

-75.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

$18.6K A$26.0K

-69.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.70 PGK 159

$81.1 A$113

-54.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 PGK 136

$56.9 A$79.3

-45.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 PGK 298

$119 A$165

-42.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 PGK 403

$126 A$176

-26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 PGK 7,181

$1,637 A$2,282

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 PGK 1,996

$1,306 A$1,821

-64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

$2,589 A$3,609

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 PGK 4,713

$1,963 A$2,737

-44.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

$8,394 A$11.7K

-75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

$6,140 A$8,560

-38.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 PGK 1,829

$4,067 A$5,670

-89.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

5.93

130.52%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $787 in Papua New Guinea vs $1,426 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,627 in Port Moresby and $1,845 in Canberra.

Average salary: $317 in Papua New Guinea vs $3,945 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 81% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 347% more in Australia.

Public transport is 900% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1144% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 203% 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 203% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.