Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands

Name: Cook Islands
Address: CK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,103 in Cook Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,001 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,682 in Cook Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,306 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,260 in Cook Islands.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 37% less than in Cook Islands on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 48% lower, Cook Islands 18% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Papua New Guinea: monthly costs span $0 to $1,732, compared to $850–$1,355 in Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Papua New Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 PGK 34.67

$12.08 NZ$20.66

-34.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.31 PGK 206

$60.8 NZ$104

-22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PGK 25.63

$9.07 NZ$15.51

-35.17%

Cappuccino

$2.35 PGK 10.23

$4.17 NZ$7.13

-43.65%

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

$0.85 PGK 3.71

$2.49 NZ$4.26

-65.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 PGK 3.44

$2.37 NZ$4.05

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PGK 12.77

$6.69 NZ$11.44

-56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 PGK 20.37

$5.29 NZ$9.05

-11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 PGK 8.74

$2.17 NZ$3.70

-7.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 PGK 6.66

$3.12 NZ$5.34

-50.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 PGK 6.43

$1.67 NZ$2.86

-11.98%

Eggs

$3.86 PGK 16.81

$5.67 NZ$9.70

-31.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 PGK 27.49

$9.78 NZ$16.72

-35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 PGK 27.74

$7.68 NZ$13.13

-17.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 PGK 40.19

$8.89 NZ$15.21

3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.68

$2.94 NZ$5.03

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 PGK 12.25

$2.42 NZ$4.14

16.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 PGK 20.45

$3.62 NZ$6.18

29.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.20

$6.40 NZ$10.95

-38.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.33

$2.38 NZ$4.08

38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 10.96

$1.92 NZ$3.29

30.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 PGK 12.47

$2.17 NZ$3.71

31.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.62

$3.26 NZ$5.58

-67.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 PGK 28.83

$15.29 NZ$26.14

-56.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 PGK 48.84

$13.21 NZ$22.58

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 PGK 11.53

$3.53 NZ$6.04

-25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.28

$4.92 NZ$8.42

-28.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.01

$3.09 NZ$5.28

-85.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 PGK 22.97

$21.22 NZ$36.29

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 PGK 10.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 PGK 73.6

$36.64 NZ$62.7

-53.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.85

$1.76 NZ$3.00

-36.93%

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

$23.6K PGK 102.8K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

96.52%

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

$31.0K PGK 135.1K

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

$102 PGK 446

$105 NZ$179

-2.34%

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

$49.38 PGK 215

$29.92 NZ$51.2

65.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$215 PGK 939

$106 NZ$181

103.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 PGK 276

$24.82 NZ$42.44

154.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 PGK 54.3

$23.94 NZ$40.94

-47.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.72 PGK 42.39

$6.99 NZ$11.96

39.06%

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

$435 PGK 1,897

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 PGK 17.8K

$1,443 NZ$2,467

182.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 PGK 151

$66.8 NZ$114

-48.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 PGK 153

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 300

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PGK 292

$75.4 NZ$129

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,112 PGK 13.6K

$314 NZ$537

890.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 PGK 2,124

$321 NZ$549

51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 PGK 14.2K

$354 NZ$605

817.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 PGK 3,090

$475 NZ$812

49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 PGK 11.5K

$5,153 NZ$8,812

-48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,956 PGK 17.2K

$751 NZ$1,284

426.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$399 PGK 1,739

$4,164 NZ$7,120

-90.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

59.38%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Last update for Cook Islands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,993 in Papua New Guinea, $323 in Cook Islands. Capital cities: $2,146 in Port Moresby vs $156 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $303 in Papua New Guinea, $4,055 in Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 517% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 97% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 1238% higher in Cook Islands, giving Cook Islands 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 Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,103 per month in Cook Islands and $866 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Papua New Guinea is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Cook Islands beats Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Papua New Guinea, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Cook Islands, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.