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 $465 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $850 in Samoa, rent included.

A couple spends around $741 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,339 in Samoa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,017 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,828 in Samoa, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 45% lower than in 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 66% lower, Samoa 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 PGK 32.12

$48.41 WST 131

-84.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.53 PGK 198

$37.11 WST 101

22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 PGK 24.74

$14.49 WST 39.36

-60.66%

Cappuccino

$2.40 PGK 10.42

$2.86 WST 7.77

-16.08%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.49

$1.85 WST 5.03

-56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.35 WST 3.67

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 PGK 11.38

$3.38 WST 9.17

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PGK 17.69

$3.74 WST 10.16

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.46

$1.88 WST 5.09

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 PGK 6.38

$0.86 WST 2.34

70.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.17

$1.80 WST 4.89

-21.11%

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.18

$4.38 WST 11.89

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.29

$0.91 WST 2.46

591.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 PGK 25.15

$3.61 WST 9.81

60.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 39.72

$8.29 WST 22.52

10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 PGK 17.27

$5.07 WST 13.76

-21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 PGK 14.67

$1.87 WST 5.07

80.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 PGK 25.78

$1.81 WST 4.93

228.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 PGK 21.91

$4.53 WST 12.30

11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 PGK 16.19

$3.57 WST 9.69

4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 10.88

$1.12 WST 3.05

124.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 PGK 7.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PGK 4.44

$1.19 WST 3.22

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 PGK 26.70

$6.29 WST 17.08

-2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 PGK 47.80

$16.43 WST 44.63

-32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 PGK 12.20

$1.84 WST 5.00

52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.11

$3.63 WST 9.84

2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.04

$3.56 WST 9.66

-86.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 PGK 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 PGK 22.56

$5.61 WST 15.22

-7.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.90

$5.35 WST 14.52

-57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 PGK 64.4

$21.93 WST 59.6

-32.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.43

$1.11 WST 3.02

-8.11%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

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

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

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

$96.6 PGK 419

$18.56 WST 50.4

420.53%

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

$27.50 PGK 119

$18.19 WST 49.39

51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 PGK 514

$37.36 WST 101

216.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 PGK 288

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

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 PGK 7,181

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 PGK 1,996

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 PGK 4,713

$1,815 WST 4,929

-40.18%

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

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 Samoa: September 5, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 95% 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 13% 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 13% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.