Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Nauru

Name: Nauru
Address: NR

For one person, living is cheaper in Nauru: $554 a month against $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea Living Index

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🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,375

/mo nomad

🇳🇷 Nauru

$554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Nauru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Papua New Guinea versus $554 in Nauru.

Papua New Guinea $1,375
Nauru $554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,973 in Nauru.

Papua New Guinea $2,177
Nauru $2,973

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Papua New Guinea versus $5,393 in Nauru.

Papua New Guinea $2,979
Nauru $5,393

Internal cost variation is higher in Papua New Guinea: monthly costs span $817 to $1,427, compared to $516–$516 in Nauru. City choice carries more weight in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 148% more expensive than in Nauru on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 PGK 30.77

$10.62 A$15.09

-33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.44 PGK 193

$24.99 A$35.54

77.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 PGK 23.84

$10.68 A$15.19

-48.60%

Cappuccino

$2.29 PGK 9.97

$3.58 A$5.09

-36.03%

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

$0.78 PGK 3.38

$1.07 A$1.52

-27.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PGK 2.85

$1.06 A$1.51

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PGK 11.24

$6.81 A$9.68

-61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PGK 17.55

$4.95 A$7.04

-18.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 PGK 8.07

$3.18 A$4.52

-41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 PGK 6.42

$1.76 A$2.50

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PGK 5.93

Eggs

$3.72 PGK 16.14

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.20

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 PGK 24.86

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 PGK 38.57

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.37

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 PGK 14.47

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 PGK 26.42

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 PGK 22.74

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 PGK 13.79

$3.53 A$5.02

-9.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 PGK 11.86

$3.61 A$5.14

-24.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 PGK 8.74

$3.53 A$5.02

-43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PGK 5.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 PGK 27.47

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 PGK 47.00

$17.47 A$24.85

-38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 PGK 10.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 PGK 15.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.84

$1.38 A$1.96

-69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 PGK 114

$88.1 A$125

-70.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 PGK 21.91

$6.87 A$9.77

-26.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 PGK 9.39

$3.57 A$5.07

-39.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 PGK 53.0

$41.64 A$59.2

-70.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.45

$1.68 A$2.39

-39.29%

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

$28.1K PGK 122.2K

$35.0K A$49.8K

-19.59%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.5K

$10.6K A$15.1K

109.24%

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

$94.0 PGK 408

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

$24.78 PGK 108

$6.98 A$9.93

255.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 PGK 460

$27.77 A$39.49

281.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 PGK 281

$0.01 A$0.01

646700.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 PGK 102

$14.19 A$20.18

65.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 PGK 38.45

$7.13 A$10.13

24.12%

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

$503 PGK 2,186

$348 A$494

44.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 PGK 24.1K

$10.4K A$14.7K

-46.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.04 PGK 157

$14.27 A$20.29

152.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 PGK 145

$10.73 A$15.26

211.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 PGK 268

$35.22 A$50.1

75.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 PGK 370

$68.8 A$97.8

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 PGK 5,939

$2,846 A$4,047

-51.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 PGK 2,184

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,690 PGK 11.7K

$5,037 A$7,162

-46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 PGK 4,647

$4,152 A$5,904

-74.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 PGK 8,843

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,661 PGK 15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,803

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

241.75%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nauru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Papua New Guinea

$503 36.6%

Nauru

–

Groceries & Markets

Papua New Guinea

$296 21.6%

Nauru

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.3%

Nauru

–

Eating Out

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

Nauru

–

Clothing & Footwear

Papua New Guinea

$97 7.1%

Nauru

–

Sport & Entertainment

Papua New Guinea

$82 6%

Nauru

–

Getting Around

Papua New Guinea

$44 3.2%

Nauru

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,741 in Papua New Guinea, $2,795 in Nauru. Capital cities: $1,451 in Port Moresby vs $2,795 in Yaren.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 61% higher in Nauru.

Dining out costs 68% more in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 231% more expensive in Nauru.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🇳🇷 Nauru

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

2 h ahead of Papua New Guinea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,935,000

13,650

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.83 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Papua New Guinea Nauru 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Papua New Guinea
Nauru

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 Nauru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $554 per month in Nauru and $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, there’s a 148% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Nauru is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

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