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: $687 in Papua New Guinea versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $987 in Papua New Guinea versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,287 in Papua New Guinea versus $846 in India.

Living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 77% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 49% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 34.27

$2.53 ₹244

207.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PGK 210

$13.73 ₹1,322

247.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 PGK 25.82

$4.00 ₹385

46.75%

Cappuccino

$2.32 PGK 10.23

$1.91 ₹184

21.47%

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

$0.84 PGK 3.69

$0.43 ₹41.85

95.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$0.17 ₹16.11

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 PGK 12.55

$1.93 ₹186

47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 PGK 20.51

$3.54 ₹341

31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 PGK 8.54

$0.73 ₹69.9

165.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.78

$0.52 ₹50.1

196.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.62

$0.73 ₹69.9

106.85%

Eggs

$3.88 PGK 17.06

$0.95 ₹91.4

308.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.53

$5.32 ₹512

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 PGK 28.34

$3.10 ₹299

107.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 PGK 40.39

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.88

$2.16 ₹208

87.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.07

$0.70 ₹67.7

291.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 PGK 20.91

$1.05 ₹101

352.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 PGK 16.85

$0.53 ₹50.8

622.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 PGK 14.58

$0.39 ₹37.66

748.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 PGK 11.13

$0.48 ₹46.64

427.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 PGK 13.15

$0.52 ₹49.78

475.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.63

$0.36 ₹34.33

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 PGK 27.96

$4.02 ₹387

57.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 PGK 48.65

$7.28 ₹701

51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.44

$1.90 ₹183

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$3.03 ₹292

13.86%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.19

$0.36 ₹34.66

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 PGK 126

$9.84 ₹948

190.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 PGK 24.13

$0.95 ₹91.8

476.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

$0.30 ₹29.03

710.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 PGK 72.5

$1.79 ₹172

820.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 PGK 4.76

$1.21 ₹117

-10.74%

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

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

71.19%

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

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

$22.4K ₹2.2M

41.18%

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

$101 PGK 445

$40.16 ₹3,867

151.87%

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

$48.55 PGK 214

$3.76 ₹362

1191.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 PGK 919

$8.04 ₹774

2497.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 PGK 279

$16.25 ₹1,565

290.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 PGK 54.5

$7.56 ₹728

63.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 PGK 41.30

$3.43 ₹330

173.76%

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

$439 PGK 1,931

$69.7 ₹6,713

529.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

121.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.78 PGK 153

$25.59 ₹2,463

35.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 PGK 159

$26.30 ₹2,532

37.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 PGK 296

$44.89 ₹4,322

49.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 PGK 287

$33.20 ₹3,197

96.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

$174 ₹16.8K

1681.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 PGK 2,110

$112 ₹10.8K

326.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

$405 ₹39.0K

684.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PGK 3,132

$258 ₹24.8K

176.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 PGK 9,377

$1,263 ₹121.6K

68.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

$653 ₹62.8K

493.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 PGK 1,899

$424 ₹40.8K

1.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

9.02

41.35%

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 India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,962 in Papua New Guinea, $127 in India. Capital cities: $2,203 in Port Moresby vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $319 in Papua New Guinea, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1445% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 173% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 25% 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 $589 per month in India and $851 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 44% 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.