🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $465 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,796 in Italy.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $741 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,739 in Italy.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,017 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,682 in Italy.
🌍Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 74% less than in Italy on average.
📊Papua New Guinea (66% below) and Italy (30% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.40PGK 32.12
$21.24€18.31
-65.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.53PGK 198
$80.8€69.7
-43.67%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.70PGK 24.74
$11.41€9.84
-50.04%
Cappuccino
$2.40PGK 10.42
$2.08€1.79
15.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80PGK 3.49
$3.05€2.63
-73.77%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69PGK 3.00
$1.38€1.19
-50.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.62PGK 11.38
$5.79€4.99
-54.75%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08PGK 17.69
$5.75€4.96
-29.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.95PGK 8.46
$1.70€1.46
14.71%
White Bread(500g)
$1.47PGK 6.38
$2.41€2.08
-39.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.42PGK 6.17
$3.01€2.59
-52.82%
Eggs
$3.73PGK 16.18
$4.32€3.72
-13.66%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.29PGK 27.29
$17.93€15.45
-64.92%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.80PGK 25.15
$12.67€10.92
-54.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.15PGK 39.72
$20.57€17.73
-55.52%
Apples(1kg)
$3.98PGK 17.27
$2.62€2.26
51.91%
Banana(1kg)
$3.38PGK 14.67
$2.15€1.85
57.21%
Oranges(1kg)
$5.94PGK 25.78
$2.80€2.41
112.14%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.05PGK 21.91
$3.32€2.87
52.11%
Potato(1kg)
$3.73PGK 16.19
$2.10€1.81
77.62%
Onion(1kg)
$2.51PGK 10.88
$1.89€1.63
32.80%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.80PGK 7.82
$1.55€1.33
16.13%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02PGK 4.44
$0.56€0.48
82.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.15PGK 26.70
$7.16€6.17
-14.11%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.01PGK 47.80
$7.35€6.33
49.80%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81PGK 12.20
$1.80€1.55
56.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71PGK 16.11
$2.41€2.07
53.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.47PGK 2.04
$1.93€1.66
-75.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.44PGK 115
$45.24€39.00
-41.56%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.20PGK 22.56
$5.74€4.95
-9.41%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.28PGK 9.90
$1.70€1.47
34.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.84PGK 64.4
$35.25€30.38
-57.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.02PGK 4.43
$2.04€1.76
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2KPGK 96.3K
$37.5K€32.3K
-40.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4KPGK 101.4K
$37.1K€31.9K
-36.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.6PGK 419
$231€199
-58.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.50PGK 119
$12.34€10.64
122.85%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$118PGK 514
$31.17€26.87
279.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$66.3PGK 288
$55.2€47.62
19.93%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.17PGK 87.5
$24.91€21.47
-19.03%
Cinema Ticket
$8.81PGK 38.21
$11.13€9.59
-20.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$536PGK 2,326
$568€490
-5.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,649PGK 24.5K
$12.5K€10.8K
-54.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.70PGK 159
$93.0€80.1
-60.52%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.22PGK 136
$39.82€34.32
-21.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$68.6PGK 298
$104€89.8
-34.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.9PGK 403
$135€116
-31.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,655PGK 7,181
$852€734
94.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$460PGK 1,996
$645€556
-28.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,644PGK 11.5K
$1,449€1,249
82.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,086PGK 4,713
$1,084€935
0.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,080PGK 9,028
$3,813€3,287
-45.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,753PGK 16.3K
$2,357€2,032
59.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$421PGK 1,829
$1,933€1,666
-78.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.67
3.57
282.91%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026
Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $787 in Papua New Guinea, $755 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,627 in Port Moresby vs $1,247 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $317 in Papua New Guinea, $1,964 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Dining out costs 300% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 438% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 520% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Papua New Guinea?
At $1,889 per month in Italy and $754 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 151% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Papua New Guinea: 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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Italy or in Papua New Guinea?
In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or to Papua New Guinea?
It depends on what you're after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.
Papua New Guinea vs other spots: cost of living compared