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: $473 in Papua New Guinea versus $987 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $747 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,545 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,021 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,102 in New Caledonia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 52% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 66% lower, New Caledonia 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 PGK 30.82

$21.60 CFPF 2,220

-67.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.01 PGK 195

$115 CFPF 11.8K

-60.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PGK 25.09

$14.40 CFPF 1,480

-59.72%

Cappuccino

$2.39 PGK 10.36

$4.65 CFPF 478

-48.60%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.46

$2.07 CFPF 213

-61.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.94

$1.28 CFPF 131

-46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PGK 11.98

$9.46 CFPF 972

-70.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 PGK 17.97

$7.40 CFPF 760

-43.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PGK 7.99

$1.22 CFPF 126

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.66

$3.63 CFPF 373

-57.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 PGK 6.07

$2.33 CFPF 239

-39.91%

Eggs

$3.70 PGK 16.00

$6.61 CFPF 679

-44.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 PGK 27.74

$30.55 CFPF 3,139

-79.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PGK 24.95

$29.27 CFPF 3,008

-80.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.23

$28.78 CFPF 2,957

-68.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 PGK 17.14

$4.97 CFPF 510

-20.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 14.80

$7.44 CFPF 765

-54.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 PGK 26.97

$6.22 CFPF 639

0.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 PGK 21.19

$8.26 CFPF 849

-40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 PGK 15.53

$5.72 CFPF 588

-37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.68

$3.85 CFPF 395

-35.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 PGK 7.74

$4.25 CFPF 436

-57.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.62

$1.51 CFPF 155

-29.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 PGK 26.96

$19.42 CFPF 1,995

-67.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 PGK 47.78

$15.70 CFPF 1,613

-29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 PGK 12.22

$5.98 CFPF 615

-52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PGK 16.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PGK 1.90

$5.01 CFPF 515

-91.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.99 PGK 112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 PGK 22.10

$7.09 CFPF 728

-27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 PGK 9.67

$1.17 CFPF 120

90.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 PGK 62.6

$21.49 CFPF 2,208

-32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 PGK 4.29

$1.69 CFPF 174

-41.42%

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

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

$34.1K CFPF 3.5M

-34.78%

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

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

$38.4K CFPF 3.9M

-38.76%

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

$94.1 PGK 407

$199 CFPF 20.5K

-52.78%

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

$28.27 PGK 122

$45.09 CFPF 4,633

-37.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$120 PGK 520

$54.9 CFPF 5,636

119.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 PGK 280

$53.3 CFPF 5,476

21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 PGK 90.7

$8.83 CFPF 908

137.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 PGK 39.87

$14.85 CFPF 1,526

-37.98%

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

$534 PGK 2,313

$782 CFPF 80.4K

-31.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

$9,649 CFPF 991.5K

-41.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.36 PGK 153

$116 CFPF 11.9K

-69.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 PGK 135

$67.9 CFPF 6,979

-54.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 PGK 299

$98.0 CFPF 10.1K

-29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 PGK 404

$263 CFPF 27.1K

-64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 PGK 7,161

$761 CFPF 78.2K

117.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 PGK 1,972

$795 CFPF 81.7K

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

$1,587 CFPF 163.1K

63.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 PGK 4,580

$1,408 CFPF 144.7K

-24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 PGK 8,867

$4,943 CFPF 507.9K

-58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

$3,550 CFPF 364.8K

9.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 PGK 1,799

$2,815 CFPF 289.3K

-85.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

3.13

336.74%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $780 in Papua New Guinea, $458 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $1,657 in Port Moresby vs $785 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $317 in Papua New Guinea, $2,896 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 195% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 814% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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 $1,251 per month in New Caledonia and $778 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 61% 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 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.

Rent in New Caledonia 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.

In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in New Caledonia 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: 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.