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: $465 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,746 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $741 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,595 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,017 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,443 in Northern Mariana Islands.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 73% less than in Northern Mariana Islands on average.

Papua New Guinea (66% below) and Northern Mariana Islands (27% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 PGK 32.12

$14.98 $14.98

-50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.53 PGK 198

$41.86 $41.86

8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 PGK 24.74

$14.30 $14.30

-60.14%

Cappuccino

$2.40 PGK 10.42

$5.46 $5.46

-56.04%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.49

$2.04 $2.04

-60.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.35 $1.35

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 PGK 11.38

$6.18 $6.18

-57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PGK 17.69

$7.53 $7.53

-45.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.46

$2.67 $2.67

-26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 PGK 6.38

$5.65 $5.65

-73.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.17

$45.73 $45.73

-96.89%

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.18

$6.14 $6.14

-39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.29

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 PGK 25.15

$13.35 $13.35

-56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 39.72

$6.48 $6.48

41.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 PGK 17.27

$6.78 $6.78

-41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 PGK 14.67

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 PGK 25.78

$6.47 $6.47

-8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 PGK 21.91

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 PGK 16.19

$2.07 $2.07

80.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 10.88

$2.23 $2.23

12.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 PGK 7.82

$4.87 $4.87

-63.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PGK 4.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 PGK 26.70

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 PGK 47.80

$14.83 $14.83

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 PGK 12.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 PGK 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 PGK 22.56

$4.94 $4.94

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 PGK 64.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.43

$1.49 $1.49

-31.54%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

$37.6K $37.6K

-41.00%

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

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

$22.2K $22.2K

5.26%

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

$96.6 PGK 419

$379 $379

-74.53%

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

$27.50 PGK 119

$60.6 $60.6

-54.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 PGK 514

$89.8 $89.8

31.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 PGK 288

$59.2 $59.2

11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 PGK 87.5

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 PGK 38.21

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

$536 PGK 2,326

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.70 PGK 159

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 PGK 136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 PGK 298

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 PGK 403

$39.36 $39.36

135.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 PGK 7,181

$809 $809

104.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 PGK 1,996

$382 $382

20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

$795 $795

232.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 PGK 4,713

$794 $794

36.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 PGK 1,829

$1,007 $1,007

-58.16%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Northern Mariana Islands: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $787 in Papua New Guinea, $807 in Northern Mariana Islands. Capital cities: $1,627 in Port Moresby vs $807 in Saipan.

National salary averages: $317 in Papua New Guinea, $1,010 in Northern Mariana Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 121% more in Northern Mariana Islands.

Salaries are 219% higher in Northern Mariana Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Papua New Guinea.

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 $1,746 per month in Northern Mariana Islands and $754 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 132% 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 Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands 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; Northern Mariana Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.