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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $473 in Papua New Guinea versus $365 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $747 in Papua New Guinea versus $579 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,021 in Papua New Guinea versus $792 in India.

Living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 30% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 66% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 PGK 30.82

$2.06 ₹195

245.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.01 PGK 195

$10.63 ₹1,004

323.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PGK 25.09

$3.70 ₹350

56.76%

Cappuccino

$2.39 PGK 10.36

$1.74 ₹164

37.36%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.46

$0.37 ₹35.14

116.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.94

$0.17 ₹16.26

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PGK 11.98

$1.93 ₹182

43.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 PGK 17.97

$3.06 ₹289

35.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PGK 7.99

$0.62 ₹58.6

198.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.66

$0.49 ₹46.45

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 PGK 6.07

$0.63 ₹59.8

122.22%

Eggs

$3.70 PGK 16.00

$0.94 ₹88.5

293.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 PGK 27.74

$4.67 ₹441

37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PGK 24.95

$2.88 ₹272

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.23

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 PGK 17.14

$1.91 ₹180

107.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 14.80

$0.64 ₹60.6

434.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 PGK 26.97

$0.98 ₹92.8

535.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 PGK 21.19

$0.51 ₹47.90

860.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 PGK 15.53

$0.34 ₹31.92

955.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.68

$0.42 ₹39.68

488.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 PGK 7.74

$0.48 ₹45.45

272.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.62

$0.29 ₹27.27

268.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 PGK 26.96

$4.91 ₹464

26.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 PGK 47.78

$7.27 ₹687

51.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 PGK 12.22

$1.65 ₹156

70.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PGK 16.45

$2.66 ₹251

42.86%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.22 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PGK 1.90

$0.27 ₹25.68

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.99 PGK 112

$8.45 ₹798

207.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 PGK 22.10

$0.96 ₹90.9

432.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 PGK 9.67

$0.27 ₹25.74

725.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 PGK 62.6

$1.60 ₹151

803.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 PGK 4.29

$1.12 ₹106

-11.61%

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

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

75.03%

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

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

$20.4K ₹1.9M

15.23%

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

$94.1 PGK 407

$37.48 ₹3,541

151.12%

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

$28.27 PGK 122

$3.50 ₹331

707.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$120 PGK 520

$7.16 ₹676

1578.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 PGK 280

$14.79 ₹1,398

338.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 PGK 90.7

$7.08 ₹669

195.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 PGK 39.87

$3.06 ₹289

200.98%

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

$534 PGK 2,313

$57.0 ₹5,382

838.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

$1,679 ₹158.6K

236.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.36 PGK 153

$22.56 ₹2,131

56.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 PGK 135

$24.04 ₹2,271

29.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 PGK 299

$40.60 ₹3,836

70.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 PGK 404

$30.39 ₹2,871

207.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 PGK 7,161

$145 ₹13.7K

1040.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 PGK 1,972

$91.4 ₹8,631

398.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

$335 ₹31.6K

676.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 PGK 4,580

$209 ₹19.8K

405.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 PGK 8,867

$1,233 ₹116.5K

66.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

$626 ₹59.1K

518.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 PGK 1,799

$443 ₹41.9K

-6.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

8.94

52.91%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $780 in Papua New Guinea, $120 in India. Capital cities: $1,657 in Port Moresby vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $317 in Papua New Guinea, $408 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 550% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 90% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 29% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $778 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 47% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 Papua New Guinea is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Papua New Guinea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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