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

Name: Fiji
Address: FJ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $687 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $498 in Fiji, rent included.

A couple spends around $987 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $855 in Fiji, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,287 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $1,212 in Fiji, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is about 38% higher than in Fiji on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Papua New Guinea and Fiji are more affordable than the global median – Papua New Guinea 49% lower, Fiji 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 34.28

$4.41 FJD 9.87

76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PGK 210

$42.72 FJD 95.6

11.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 PGK 25.83

$7.04 FJD 15.75

-16.62%

Cappuccino

$2.32 PGK 10.23

$2.90 FJD 6.49

-20.00%

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

$0.84 PGK 3.69

$1.34 FJD 2.99

-37.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$0.95 FJD 2.12

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 PGK 12.56

$2.84 FJD 6.37

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 PGK 20.52

$3.60 FJD 8.06

29.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 PGK 8.55

$1.31 FJD 2.92

48.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.78

$0.61 FJD 1.36

152.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.62

$1.11 FJD 2.49

36.04%

Eggs

$3.88 PGK 17.06

$3.32 FJD 7.43

16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.54

$8.41 FJD 18.82

-25.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 PGK 28.34

$7.96 FJD 17.81

-19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 PGK 40.40

$7.65 FJD 17.12

20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.89

$2.41 FJD 5.40

68.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.07

$2.61 FJD 5.83

4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 PGK 20.91

$3.30 FJD 7.38

43.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 PGK 16.86

$2.78 FJD 6.22

37.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 PGK 14.58

$1.43 FJD 3.20

131.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 PGK 11.13

$1.20 FJD 2.69

110.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 PGK 13.15

$1.04 FJD 2.32

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.63

$0.90 FJD 2.01

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 PGK 27.96

$9.61 FJD 21.50

-33.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 PGK 48.66

$8.47 FJD 18.96

30.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.44

$2.12 FJD 4.75

22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$3.36 FJD 7.52

2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.19

$0.73 FJD 1.64

-31.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 PGK 126

$22.17 FJD 49.61

28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 PGK 24.14

$0.85 FJD 1.90

544.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

$0.44 FJD 0.99

452.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 PGK 72.5

$4.91 FJD 10.98

235.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 PGK 4.76

$1.35 FJD 3.03

-20.00%

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

$23.7K PGK 104.4K

$23.7K FJD 53.1K

-0.09%

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

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

$22.8K FJD 51.1K

38.71%

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

$101 PGK 445

$52.5 FJD 118

92.52%

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

$48.55 PGK 214

$13.25 FJD 29.65

266.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 PGK 919

$23.33 FJD 52.2

795.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 PGK 279

$31.55 FJD 70.6

101.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 PGK 54.5

$6.77 FJD 15.14

83.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 PGK 41.31

$4.36 FJD 9.75

115.37%

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

$439 PGK 1,931

$176 FJD 394

149.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

$11.5K FJD 25.8K

-64.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.78 PGK 153

$25.51 FJD 57.1

36.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 PGK 159

$30.23 FJD 67.7

19.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 PGK 296

$67.6 FJD 151

-0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 PGK 287

$74.5 FJD 167

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

$620 FJD 1,387

401.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 PGK 2,110

$335 FJD 749

43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

$1,554 FJD 3,477

104.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PGK 3,133

$965 FJD 2,160

-26.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 PGK 9,379

$1,217 FJD 2,724

75.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

$806 FJD 1,805

380.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 PGK 1,900

$874 FJD 1,957

-50.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

6.5

96.15%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fiji: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,962 in Papua New Guinea vs $279 in Fiji. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,203 in Port Moresby and $588 in Suva.

Average salary: $319 in Papua New Guinea vs $733 in Fiji. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 603% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 15% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 130% higher in Fiji, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Fiji.

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 Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fiji is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 61% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Fiji, contributing to the overall 61% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Fiji, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Fiji 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.