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

Name: Canada
Address: CA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $682 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,320 in Canada, rent included.

A couple spends around $992 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,376 in Canada, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,301 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,432 in Canada, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 71% lower than in Canada on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 49% below the global median, while Canada is 74% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.63 PGK 33.65

$18.11 CA$25.43

-57.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.86 PGK 215

$73.9 CA$104

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 PGK 26.54

$11.22 CA$15.75

-46.35%

Cappuccino

$2.43 PGK 10.72

$3.78 CA$5.31

-35.71%

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

$0.91 PGK 4.02

$2.16 CA$3.03

-57.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 PGK 3.55

$1.76 CA$2.47

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 PGK 12.95

$5.87 CA$8.24

-49.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 PGK 20.58

$5.90 CA$8.28

-20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.45

$2.20 CA$3.09

-13.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 PGK 6.68

$2.79 CA$3.92

-45.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PGK 6.38

$3.64 CA$5.10

-60.16%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 17.18

$3.52 CA$4.94

10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 PGK 27.81

$11.44 CA$16.05

-44.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 PGK 29.14

$12.51 CA$17.56

-47.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 PGK 38.98

$15.01 CA$21.07

-41.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 PGK 17.67

$4.21 CA$5.92

-4.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.08

$1.43 CA$2.01

91.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 PGK 21.17

$3.94 CA$5.53

21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 PGK 17.61

$4.14 CA$5.82

-3.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 15.07

$2.77 CA$3.88

23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.91

$2.77 CA$3.89

-10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 PGK 13.34

$2.55 CA$3.58

18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.70

$1.86 CA$2.61

-42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 PGK 29.13

$14.58 CA$20.47

-54.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 PGK 49.44

$13.23 CA$18.57

-15.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 PGK 11.29

$2.94 CA$4.12

-12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$3.27 CA$4.59

5.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.04

$2.61 CA$3.66

-82.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 PGK 126

$78.3 CA$110

-63.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 PGK 23.87

$3.51 CA$4.93

54.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.94

$1.55 CA$2.17

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 PGK 74.8

$28.70 CA$40.29

-40.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 PGK 4.72

$1.20 CA$1.68

-10.83%

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

$24.4K PGK 107.4K

$24.6K CA$34.6K

-1.06%

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

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

$20.6K CA$28.8K

52.65%

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

$102 PGK 452

$155 CA$218

-33.96%

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

$48.82 PGK 215

$46.34 CA$65.0

5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$211 PGK 929

$63.5 CA$89.2

231.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 PGK 281

$42.90 CA$60.2

48.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.19 PGK 53.8

$17.87 CA$25.08

-31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 PGK 42.64

$11.50 CA$16.14

-15.91%

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

$443 PGK 1,954

$815 CA$1,144

-45.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

$12.0K CA$16.9K

-65.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.58 PGK 157

$55.7 CA$78.1

-36.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.79 PGK 158

$42.56 CA$59.7

-15.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 PGK 297

$88.2 CA$124

-23.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 PGK 294

$108 CA$151

-38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

$1,332 CA$1,869

132.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 PGK 2,113

$1,177 CA$1,652

-59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

$2,194 CA$3,079

45.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 PGK 3,206

$1,888 CA$2,650

-61.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,075 PGK 9,154

$4,592 CA$6,446

-54.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

$3,805 CA$5,340

-0.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,829

$2,913 CA$4,088

-85.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

6.33

101.42%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 28, 2026

Last update for Canada: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,985 in Papua New Guinea vs $1,283 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,194 in Port Moresby and $1,468 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $315 in Papua New Guinea vs $2,911 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 127% more in Canada.

Public transport is 713% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 824% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 166% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 166% 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 Canada 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.