Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Germany

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,364 a month against $2,065 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
$1,364
/mo nomad
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,065
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papua New Guinea and in Germany

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Papua New Guinea and in Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,364 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,056 in Germany.

  • Papua New Guinea $1,364
  • Germany $2,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,170 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,129 in Germany.

  • Papua New Guinea $2,170
  • Germany $3,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,976 in Papua New Guinea versus $4,202 in Germany.

  • Papua New Guinea $2,976
  • Germany $4,202

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 34% less than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Papua New Guinea 1% above, Germany 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.09 PGK 31.04
$16.61 €14.77
-57.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.55 PGK 195
$72.4 €64.4
-38.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.35 PGK 23.42
$12.15 €10.81
-55.97%
Cappuccino
$2.33 PGK 10.18
$3.96 €3.52
-41.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 PGK 3.44
$3.45 €3.07
-77.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 PGK 2.92
$3.06 €2.72
-78.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 PGK 11.35
$5.19 €4.62
-50.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 PGK 17.38
$4.59 €4.08
-13.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 PGK 7.88
$1.27 €1.13
41.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 PGK 6.57
$2.13 €1.90
-29.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 PGK 5.78
$3.56 €3.17
-62.92%
Eggs
$3.63 PGK 15.89
$3.79 €3.37
-4.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.49 PGK 28.42
$14.65 €13.03
-55.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.76 PGK 25.21
$11.78 €10.48
-51.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.18 PGK 40.19
$20.78 €18.48
-55.82%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 PGK 17.52
$3.17 €2.82
26.18%
Banana (1kg)
$3.29 PGK 14.39
$1.98 €1.76
66.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.15 PGK 26.93
$2.21 €1.96
178.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.12 PGK 22.42
$4.28 €3.81
19.63%
Potato (1kg)
$3.29 PGK 14.41
$1.45 €1.29
126.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.79 PGK 12.20
$1.49 €1.33
87.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 PGK 8.79
$1.67 €1.49
20.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 PGK 4.94
$1.07 €0.95
5.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.55 PGK 28.66
$9.90 €8.81
-33.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.72 PGK 46.94
$6.56 €5.83
63.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 PGK 10.83
$1.09 €0.97
126.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 PGK 16.23
$1.60 €1.43
131.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.46 PGK 2.01
$3.84 €3.42
-88.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.35 PGK 111
$70.9 €63.1
-64.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.81 PGK 21.07
$5.52 €4.91
-12.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.22 PGK 9.73
$2.74 €2.44
-18.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.21 PGK 53.5
$38.54 €34.28
-68.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 PGK 4.27
$2.11 €1.87
-53.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K PGK 127.0K
$33.0K €29.3K
-12.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.7K PGK 99.3K
$38.7K €34.4K
-41.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.6 PGK 410
$338 €301
-72.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.89 PGK 109
$24.76 €22.02
0.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$104 PGK 454
$47.37 €42.13
118.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.6 PGK 278
$41.14 €36.59
54.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.19 PGK 106
$27.41 €24.38
-11.75%
Cinema Ticket
$8.64 PGK 37.82
$14.31 €12.73
-39.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 PGK 2,283
$573 €510
-9.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,363 PGK 23.5K
$17.6K €15.6K
-69.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.28 PGK 159
$89.1 €79.3
-59.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.70 PGK 148
$42.77 €38.04
-21.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.1 PGK 281
$99.5 €88.5
-35.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 PGK 374
$132 €117
-35.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 PGK 5,855
$896 €797
49.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 PGK 2,167
$703 €625
-29.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,689 PGK 11.8K
$1,675 €1,490
60.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,069 PGK 4,678
$1,314 €1,169
-18.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,026 PGK 8,869
$6,163 €5,482
-67.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,702 PGK 16.2K
$4,027 €3,582
-8.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$417 PGK 1,826
$3,219 €2,864
-87.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.67
3.96
245.20%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 19, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Papua New Guinea
$495
Germany
$703 41.9% $208
Groceries & Markets
Papua New Guinea
$297
Germany
$335 12.9% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Papua New Guinea
$222
Germany
$410 84.7% $188
Eating Out
Papua New Guinea
$127
Germany
$278 118% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Papua New Guinea
$99
Germany
$163 65.5% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Papua New Guinea
$81
Germany
$70 13.7% $11
Getting Around
Papua New Guinea
$43
Germany
$105 145% $62

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $751 in Papua New Guinea, $801 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,507 in Port Moresby vs $1,469 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $311 in Papua New Guinea, $3,101 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 274% more in Germany.

Public transport is 843% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 897% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
🇩🇪 Germany
🕒 Local time
20:02 8:02 PM
12:02 12:02 PM
8 h behind Papua New Guinea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,935,000
84,358,845
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Papua New Guinea Germany 13,690 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Germany

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Papua New Guinea?
At $2,056 per month in Germany and $1,364 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 51% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Germany or Papua New Guinea?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Germany and Papua New Guinea?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $801 in Germany and $751 in Papua New Guinea. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $1,500 go in Germany compared to Papua New Guinea?
In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Germany it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Papua New Guinea?
It depends on what you're after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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