Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and the Northern Mariana Islands

Name: Northern Mariana Islands
Address: MP

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,375 a month against $1,762 in the Northern Mariana Islands, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses 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

🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands

$1,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papua New Guinea and in the Northern Mariana Islands

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 the Northern Mariana Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,762 in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Papua New Guinea $1,375
Northern Mariana Islands $1,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,580 in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Papua New Guinea $2,177
Northern Mariana Islands $2,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,399 in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Papua New Guinea $2,979
Northern Mariana Islands $3,399

Internal cost variation is higher in Papua New Guinea: monthly costs span $817 to $1,427, compared to $1,749–$1,749 in the Northern Mariana Islands. City choice carries more weight in Papua New Guinea.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 22% less than in the Northern Mariana Islands on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 PGK 30.79

$14.80 $14.80

-52.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.44 PGK 193

$43.03 $43.03

3.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 PGK 23.85

$14.22 $14.22

-61.39%

Cappuccino

$2.29 PGK 9.97

$5.40 $5.40

-57.59%

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

$0.78 PGK 3.38

$2.02 $2.02

-61.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PGK 2.85

$1.39 $1.39

-52.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PGK 11.25

$6.10 $6.10

-57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PGK 17.56

$7.36 $7.36

-45.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 PGK 8.08

$2.55 $2.55

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 PGK 6.42

$5.67 $5.67

-73.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PGK 5.93

$45.28 $45.28

-96.97%

Eggs

$3.72 PGK 16.15

$6.05 $6.05

-38.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.21

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 PGK 24.87

$13.30 $13.30

-56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 PGK 38.58

$6.70 $6.70

32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.37

$6.49 $6.49

-38.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 PGK 14.48

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 PGK 26.44

$6.49 $6.49

-6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 PGK 22.75

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 PGK 13.80

$2.01 $2.01

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 PGK 11.87

$2.21 $2.21

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 PGK 8.74

$4.96 $4.96

-59.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PGK 5.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 PGK 27.48

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 PGK 47.02

$15.16 $15.16

-28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 PGK 10.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 PGK 15.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 PGK 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 PGK 21.92

$4.91 $4.91

2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 PGK 9.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 PGK 53.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.45

$1.45 $1.45

-29.66%

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

$28.1K PGK 122.3K

$36.3K $36.3K

-22.46%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.6K

$21.7K $21.7K

2.29%

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

$94.0 PGK 408

$377 $377

-75.04%

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

$24.78 PGK 108

$59.8 $59.8

-58.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 PGK 460

$91.2 $91.2

16.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 PGK 281

$61.1 $61.1

5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 PGK 102

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 PGK 38.47

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

$503 PGK 2,187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 PGK 24.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.04 PGK 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 PGK 145

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 PGK 268

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 PGK 371

$39.86 $39.86

113.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 PGK 5,942

$815 $815

67.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 PGK 2,185

$373 $373

34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,690 PGK 11.7K

$780 $780

244.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 PGK 4,649

$808 $808

32.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 PGK 8,847

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,661 PGK 15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,803

$991 $991

-58.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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 the Northern Mariana Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papua New Guinea

$503 36.6%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Groceries & Markets

Papua New Guinea

$296 21.6%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.3%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Eating Out

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Clothing & Footwear

Papua New Guinea

$97 7.1%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Sport & Entertainment

Papua New Guinea

$82 6%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Getting Around

Papua New Guinea

$44 3.2%

Northern Mariana Islands

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,741 in Papua New Guinea, $794 in the Northern Mariana Islands. Capital cities: $1,451 in Port Moresby vs $794 in Saipan.

National salary averages: $312 in Papua New Guinea, $1,005 in the Northern Mariana Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are about 3.2 times higher in the Northern Mariana Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as Papua New Guinea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,935,000

47,329

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 4.35 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.85 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Papua New Guinea Northern Mariana Islands 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Papua New Guinea
Northern Mariana Islands

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 Northern Mariana Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,762 per month in the Northern Mariana Islands and $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea comes out about 22% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Papua New Guinea 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: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.