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 $677 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $1,002 in Samoa, rent included.

A couple spends around $982 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,533 in Samoa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,287 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,063 in Samoa, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 32% 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 49% lower, Samoa 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.73 PGK 34.10

$53.0 WST 145

-85.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.15 PGK 212

$35.49 WST 97.3

35.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PGK 25.78

$13.82 WST 37.92

-57.67%

Cappuccino

$2.30 PGK 10.15

$2.54 WST 6.97

-9.45%

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

$0.90 PGK 3.95

$1.99 WST 5.46

-54.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.29

$1.26 WST 3.46

-40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 PGK 12.99

$4.42 WST 12.12

-33.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 PGK 20.23

$3.45 WST 9.47

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 PGK 8.74

$1.80 WST 4.95

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.98

$0.76 WST 2.10

107.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.65

$1.84 WST 5.05

-17.93%

Eggs

$3.76 PGK 16.56

$4.22 WST 11.58

-10.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PGK 27.85

$0.85 WST 2.33

643.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 PGK 29.38

$3.64 WST 9.98

82.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 40.37

$8.39 WST 23.02

9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.89

$5.15 WST 14.12

-21.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 PGK 12.03

$1.83 WST 5.01

49.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 PGK 21.68

$1.83 WST 5.01

168.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PGK 17.74

$4.39 WST 12.04

-8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 PGK 15.21

$3.61 WST 9.90

-4.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 PGK 10.67

$1.05 WST 2.87

130.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 PGK 12.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.71

$1.20 WST 3.29

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 PGK 27.97

$6.15 WST 16.86

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 PGK 48.17

$16.25 WST 44.57

-32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 PGK 11.56

$1.84 WST 5.04

42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 PGK 15.66

$3.61 WST 9.92

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.06

$3.63 WST 9.97

-87.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 PGK 125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 PGK 24.31

$5.30 WST 14.54

3.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 11.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 PGK 75.4

$21.05 WST 57.8

-18.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.93

$1.05 WST 2.87

6.67%

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

$24.1K PGK 106.4K

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

$30.8K PGK 136.0K

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

$101 PGK 446

$18.13 WST 49.73

458.47%

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

$48.45 PGK 214

$17.80 WST 48.83

172.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$211 PGK 929

$36.42 WST 99.9

478.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.44 PGK 54.9

Cinema Ticket

$9.80 PGK 43.23

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

$432 PGK 1,907

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 PGK 157

$49.65 WST 136

-28.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 PGK 160

$40.72 WST 112

-11.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 PGK 302

$75.2 WST 206

-9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 PGK 290

$99.4 WST 273

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.4K

$348 WST 954

774.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 PGK 2,092

$150 WST 412

216.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,153 PGK 13.9K

$710 WST 1,948

343.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 PGK 3,143

$1,177 WST 3,229

-39.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,088 PGK 9,207

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,779 PGK 16.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PGK 1,852

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Samoa: July 20, 2026

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 19% 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 19% 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.