Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Samoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Samoa

Name: Samoa
Address: WS

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $695 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $1,000 in Samoa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,001 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,533 in Samoa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,306 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,066 in Samoa, rent included.

Papua New Guinea is roughly 31% cheaper than Samoa on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Papua New Guinea and Samoa are more affordable than the global median – Papua New Guinea 48% lower, Samoa 25% lower.

Papua New Guinea has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,732) than Samoa ($1,000–$1,000), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Papua New Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 PGK 34.99

$53.8 WST 145

-85.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.31 PGK 208

$35.26 WST 95.2

34.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PGK 25.87

$13.62 WST 36.78

-56.83%

Cappuccino

$2.35 PGK 10.33

$2.43 WST 6.57

-3.29%

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

$0.85 PGK 3.74

$2.07 WST 5.59

-58.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 PGK 3.47

$1.31 WST 3.54

-39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PGK 12.89

$4.18 WST 11.30

-29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 PGK 20.56

$3.56 WST 9.62

31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 PGK 8.82

$1.76 WST 4.76

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 PGK 6.72

$0.82 WST 2.20

86.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 PGK 6.49

$1.82 WST 4.92

-19.23%

Eggs

$3.86 PGK 16.96

$4.31 WST 11.64

-10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 PGK 27.74

$0.86 WST 2.32

632.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 PGK 27.99

$3.53 WST 9.52

80.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 PGK 40.56

$7.99 WST 21.58

15.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.85

$4.87 WST 13.15

-16.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 PGK 12.36

$1.77 WST 4.77

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 PGK 20.64

$1.75 WST 4.74

168.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.36

$4.24 WST 11.45

-6.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.46

$3.50 WST 9.46

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 11.06

$1.04 WST 2.82

141.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 PGK 12.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.66

$1.15 WST 3.10

-7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 PGK 29.10

$5.98 WST 16.15

10.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 PGK 49.28

$16.22 WST 43.78

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 PGK 11.64

$1.82 WST 4.92

45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.42

$3.53 WST 9.54

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.03

$3.49 WST 9.42

-86.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 PGK 23.18

$5.24 WST 14.15

0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 PGK 10.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 PGK 74.2

$21.25 WST 57.4

-20.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.89

$1.05 WST 2.83

5.71%

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

$23.6K PGK 103.8K

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

$31.0K PGK 136.3K

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

$102 PGK 450

$18.17 WST 49.07

463.40%

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

$49.38 PGK 217

$18.10 WST 48.87

172.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$215 PGK 947

$35.32 WST 95.4

509.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 PGK 54.8

Cinema Ticket

$9.72 PGK 42.78

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

$435 PGK 1,915

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 PGK 152

$49.88 WST 135

-30.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 PGK 154

$40.32 WST 109

-12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 303

$73.9 WST 199

-6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PGK 295

$101 WST 273

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

$345 WST 933

800.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 PGK 2,143

$147 WST 398

230.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

$706 WST 1,907

359.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 PGK 3,118

$1,155 WST 3,120

-38.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$399 PGK 1,755

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 21, 2026

Last update for Samoa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,993 in Papua New Guinea vs $0 in Samoa. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,146 in Port Moresby and $0 in Apia.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 20% more in Samoa.

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 Samoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 15% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Samoa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Samoa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 15% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Samoa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.