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: $687 in Papua New Guinea versus $950 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $987 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,466 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,287 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,982 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 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 34.27

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

-45.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PGK 210

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

-50.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 PGK 25.82

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

-59.52%

Cappuccino

$2.32 PGK 10.23

$5.87 CFPF 611

-60.48%

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

$0.84 PGK 3.69

$2.49 CFPF 259

-66.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$1.06 CFPF 111

-31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 PGK 12.55

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

-74.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 PGK 20.51

$7.63 CFPF 793

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 PGK 8.54

$1.17 CFPF 122

65.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.78

$3.09 CFPF 321

-50.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.62

$1.90 CFPF 198

-20.53%

Eggs

$3.88 PGK 17.06

$5.53 CFPF 576

-29.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.53

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

-67.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 PGK 28.34

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

-71.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 PGK 40.39

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

-65.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.88

$4.20 CFPF 437

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.07

$7.33 CFPF 763

-62.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 PGK 20.91

$6.68 CFPF 695

-28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 PGK 16.85

$7.37 CFPF 767

-48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 PGK 14.58

$3.73 CFPF 388

-11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 PGK 11.13

$3.30 CFPF 343

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 PGK 13.15

$2.88 CFPF 299

3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.63

$1.53 CFPF 160

-31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 PGK 27.96

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

-67.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 PGK 48.65

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.44

$5.19 CFPF 540

-49.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$6.08 CFPF 632

-43.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.19

$2.89 CFPF 301

-82.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 PGK 126

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

-54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 PGK 24.13

$5.40 CFPF 562

1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

$1.00 CFPF 104

143.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 PGK 72.5

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

-34.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 PGK 4.76

$1.69 CFPF 176

-36.09%

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

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

-30.16%

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

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

-21.24%

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

$101 PGK 445

$206 CFPF 21.5K

-50.98%

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

$48.55 PGK 214

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

20.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 PGK 919

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

258.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 PGK 279

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

3.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 PGK 54.5

$7.55 CFPF 785

64.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 PGK 41.30

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

-26.64%

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

$439 PGK 1,931

$793 CFPF 82.5K

-44.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.78 PGK 153

$111 CFPF 11.6K

-68.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 PGK 159

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

-37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 PGK 296

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 PGK 287

$243 CFPF 25.2K

-73.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

$752 CFPF 78.2K

313.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 PGK 2,110

$777 CFPF 80.9K

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

101.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PGK 3,132

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

-47.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 PGK 9,377

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

-55.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

9.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 PGK 1,899

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

-84.34%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,962 in Papua New Guinea, $459 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $2,203 in Port Moresby vs $805 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $319 in Papua New Guinea, $2,814 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 327% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 67% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 163% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 782% 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 $1,195 per month in New Caledonia and $851 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.

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, $2,500 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.