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

Name: New Caledonia
Address: NC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Papua New Guinea versus $943 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,462 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,286 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,981 in New Caledonia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 28% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 49% lower, New Caledonia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 34.33

$14.73 CFPF 1,504

-46.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 PGK 208

$97.2 CFPF 9,931

-50.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PGK 25.72

$14.46 CFPF 1,477

-59.20%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 10.08

$5.82 CFPF 594

-60.31%

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

$0.89 PGK 3.90

$2.40 CFPF 245

-62.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.26

$1.11 CFPF 113

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 PGK 12.40

$11.21 CFPF 1,145

-74.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 PGK 19.38

$7.41 CFPF 757

-40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 PGK 8.61

$1.24 CFPF 127

58.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.88

$3.08 CFPF 315

-48.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PGK 6.44

$1.92 CFPF 196

-22.92%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.95

$5.72 CFPF 585

-31.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PGK 26.16

$19.00 CFPF 1,940

-68.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PGK 28.92

$22.36 CFPF 2,284

-70.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.43

$25.54 CFPF 2,609

-64.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.75

$4.21 CFPF 430

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 11.97

$7.19 CFPF 734

-61.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.42

$6.84 CFPF 698

-28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.46

$7.37 CFPF 753

-45.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 14.99

$3.89 CFPF 397

-11.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.86

$3.25 CFPF 332

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 PGK 12.55

$2.99 CFPF 305

-3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.59

$1.52 CFPF 155

-30.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 PGK 28.52

$19.29 CFPF 1,970

-66.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 PGK 48.97

$15.34 CFPF 1,567

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 PGK 10.98

$5.41 CFPF 552

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.40

$5.99 CFPF 612

-41.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$2.93 CFPF 300

-82.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 PGK 122

$62.2 CFPF 6,355

-55.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 PGK 23.04

$5.36 CFPF 547

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.84

$1.01 CFPF 103

145.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.94 PGK 73.9

$25.33 CFPF 2,587

-33.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.84

$1.69 CFPF 173

-34.32%

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

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

-29.77%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

-20.54%

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

$102 PGK 447

$203 CFPF 20.7K

-49.54%

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

$48.00 PGK 209

$40.52 CFPF 4,139

18.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 928

$56.8 CFPF 5,801

274.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 270

$61.3 CFPF 6,261

1.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 PGK 53.8

$7.89 CFPF 806

56.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 PGK 42.65

$12.90 CFPF 1,318

-24.19%

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

$434 PGK 1,893

$786 CFPF 80.3K

-44.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.81 PGK 156

$111 CFPF 11.3K

-67.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 PGK 155

$57.1 CFPF 5,837

-37.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

$92.9 CFPF 9,485

-26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

$243 CFPF 24.8K

-72.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

$762 CFPF 77.8K

299.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 PGK 2,062

$785 CFPF 80.2K

-39.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

$1,615 CFPF 165.0K

99.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 PGK 3,189

$1,314 CFPF 134.2K

-44.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,348

$4,845 CFPF 495.0K

-55.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

$3,596 CFPF 367.3K

10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,864

$2,822 CFPF 288.2K

-84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

2.33

447.21%

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 New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,958 in Papua New Guinea, $458 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $2,151 in Port Moresby vs $785 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $325 in Papua New Guinea, $2,889 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 328% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 70% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 163% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 789% higher in New Caledonia, giving New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $845 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 40% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Papua New Guinea 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 New Caledonia beats 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.

In Papua New Guinea, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In New Caledonia, 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. Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.