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: $682 in Papua New Guinea versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Papua New Guinea versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,286 in Papua New Guinea versus $846 in India.

Living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 76% more expensive than India on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 34.33

$2.49 ₹237

216.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 PGK 208

$14.20 ₹1,353

236.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PGK 25.72

$3.98 ₹379

48.24%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 10.08

$1.88 ₹179

22.87%

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

$0.89 PGK 3.90

$0.44 ₹41.98

102.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.26

$0.19 ₹18.57

294.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 PGK 12.40

$2.02 ₹192

40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 PGK 19.38

$3.45 ₹329

28.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 PGK 8.61

$0.72 ₹68.3

173.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.88

$0.52 ₹49.26

203.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PGK 6.44

$0.72 ₹68.7

105.56%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.95

$0.93 ₹88.8

318.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PGK 26.16

$5.24 ₹499

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PGK 28.92

$3.07 ₹292

115.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.43

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.75

$2.17 ₹207

87.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 11.97

$0.76 ₹72.2

260.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.42

$1.05 ₹100

367.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.46

$0.53 ₹50.7

654.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 14.99

$0.39 ₹37.53

782.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.86

$0.49 ₹46.81

408.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 PGK 12.55

$0.52 ₹49.35

453.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.59

$0.33 ₹31.13

218.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 PGK 28.52

$4.05 ₹386

61.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 PGK 48.97

$7.39 ₹704

51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 PGK 10.98

$1.84 ₹175

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.40

$2.90 ₹277

21.72%

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

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$0.36 ₹34.59

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 PGK 122

$9.74 ₹928

186.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 PGK 23.04

$0.95 ₹90.6

455.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.84

$0.30 ₹28.64

726.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.94 PGK 73.9

$1.73 ₹165

879.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.84

$1.23 ₹117

-9.76%

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

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

73.30%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

38.29%

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

$102 PGK 447

$40.88 ₹3,894

150.49%

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

$48.00 PGK 209

$3.91 ₹372

1127.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 928

$7.81 ₹744

2623.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 270

$16.15 ₹1,538

283.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 PGK 53.8

$7.49 ₹713

64.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 PGK 42.65

$3.42 ₹326

185.96%

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

$434 PGK 1,893

$69.9 ₹6,660

520.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

130.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.81 PGK 156

$25.83 ₹2,460

38.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 PGK 155

$26.61 ₹2,535

33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

$45.24 ₹4,309

51.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

$33.68 ₹3,208

97.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

$178 ₹17.0K

1608.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 PGK 2,062

$115 ₹10.9K

312.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

$407 ₹38.8K

693.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 PGK 3,189

$264 ₹25.1K

177.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,348

$1,240 ₹118.1K

72.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

$631 ₹60.1K

527.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,864

$432 ₹41.2K

-1.10%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,958 in Papua New Guinea, $127 in India. Capital cities: $2,151 in Port Moresby vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $325 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 1442% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 173% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 22% higher in India, giving India 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $845 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.

India 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 Papua New Guinea beats 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 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. 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.