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

Name: Northern Mariana Islands
Address: MP

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $694 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,745 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,002 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,588 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,310 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,430 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 60% less than in Northern Mariana Islands on average.

Papua New Guinea (48% below) and Northern Mariana Islands (30% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 33.95

$11.40 $11.40

-31.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 PGK 208

$39.60 $39.60

20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 PGK 26.40

$12.06 $12.06

-49.83%

Cappuccino

$2.37 PGK 10.35

$5.19 $5.19

-54.34%

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

$0.86 PGK 3.76

$1.71 $1.71

-49.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 PGK 3.51

$1.34 $1.34

-39.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PGK 12.26

$6.15 $6.15

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 PGK 20.14

$5.97 $5.97

-22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.31

$2.29 $2.29

-16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 PGK 6.94

$3.24 $3.24

-50.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 PGK 6.69

$44.11 $44.11

-96.53%

Eggs

$3.86 PGK 16.83

$6.25 $6.25

-38.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.40

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 PGK 28.65

$13.42 $13.42

-51.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 PGK 38.49

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 PGK 17.86

$6.74 $6.74

-39.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 PGK 11.97

$2.15 $2.15

27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 PGK 20.23

$6.48 $6.48

-28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 PGK 16.92

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 PGK 15.03

$2.10 $2.10

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.87

$2.33 $2.33

6.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 PGK 13.15

$5.01 $5.01

-39.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 PGK 28.74

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 PGK 50.0

$15.13 $15.13

-24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.12 PGK 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 PGK 23.43

$6.55 $6.55

-18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 PGK 11.04

$1.82 $1.82

39.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 PGK 73.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.90

$1.46 $1.46

-23.29%

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

$23.8K PGK 103.6K

$37.0K $37.0K

-35.85%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

$22.8K $22.8K

37.62%

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

$105 PGK 456

$330 $330

-68.25%

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

$48.53 PGK 212

$65.3 $65.3

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 927

$58.9 $58.9

261.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 PGK 272

$47.19 $47.19

32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 PGK 53.9

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 PGK 40.68

$7.89 $7.89

18.25%

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

$432 PGK 1,884

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,092 PGK 17.8K

$6,106 $6,106

-32.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.91 PGK 152

$29.45 $29.45

18.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.19 PGK 158

$39.64 $39.64

-8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 PGK 296

$69.4 $69.4

-2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 PGK 291

$55.3 $55.3

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,145 PGK 13.7K

$634 $634

396.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 PGK 2,066

$442 $442

7.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,179 PGK 13.9K

$1,059 $1,059

200.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 PGK 3,089

$964 $964

-26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 PGK 11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,855 PGK 16.8K

$13.1K $13.1K

-70.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 PGK 1,757

$998 $998

-59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 28, 2026

Last update for Northern Mariana Islands: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,963 in Papua New Guinea, $637 in Northern Mariana Islands. Capital cities: $2,200 in Port Moresby vs $637 in Saipan.

National salary averages: $297 in Papua New Guinea, $997 in Northern Mariana Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 208% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 33% more in Northern Mariana Islands.

Salaries are 236% higher in Northern Mariana Islands, giving Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,745 per month in Northern Mariana Islands and $864 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 102% 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 Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands, 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; Northern Mariana Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.