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 $682 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $999 in Samoa, rent included.

A couple spends around $984 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,576 in Samoa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,286 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $4,152 in Samoa, rent included.

Papua New Guinea is roughly 32% 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 49% lower, Samoa 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 34.40

$53.7 WST 147

-85.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 PGK 209

$36.26 WST 99.5

31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PGK 25.78

$14.08 WST 38.62

-58.10%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 10.10

$2.51 WST 6.88

-7.97%

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

$0.89 PGK 3.91

$2.10 WST 5.77

-57.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.27

$1.27 WST 3.49

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 PGK 12.43

$4.25 WST 11.67

-33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 PGK 19.42

$3.50 WST 9.60

26.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 PGK 8.63

$1.84 WST 5.04

7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.89

$0.77 WST 2.12

105.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PGK 6.46

$1.75 WST 4.79

-15.43%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.98

$4.11 WST 11.28

-5.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PGK 26.22

$0.92 WST 2.51

552.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PGK 28.98

$3.60 WST 9.88

84.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.52

$8.22 WST 22.57

9.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.79

$4.94 WST 13.55

-17.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 11.99

$1.83 WST 5.01

49.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.47

$1.82 WST 4.99

169.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.50

$4.31 WST 11.82

-7.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 15.03

$3.48 WST 9.55

-1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.88

$1.10 WST 3.01

126.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 PGK 12.58

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.60

$1.19 WST 3.28

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 PGK 28.58

$6.04 WST 16.58

8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 PGK 49.08

$16.29 WST 44.71

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 PGK 11.01

$1.80 WST 4.94

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$3.49 WST 9.58

1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$3.49 WST 9.59

-85.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 PGK 122

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 PGK 23.09

$5.47 WST 15.02

-3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.94 PGK 74.1

$21.53 WST 59.1

-21.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.85

$1.04 WST 2.86

6.73%

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

$24.0K PGK 104.9K

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

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

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

$102 PGK 448

$17.93 WST 49.19

471.11%

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

$48.00 PGK 210

$17.66 WST 48.45

171.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 930

$35.75 WST 98.1

495.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 PGK 53.9

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 PGK 42.74

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

$434 PGK 1,898

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.81 PGK 157

$50.9 WST 140

-29.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 PGK 155

$39.63 WST 109

-10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

$76.0 WST 209

-9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

$99.4 WST 273

-33.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

$352 WST 965

765.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 PGK 2,066

$150 WST 411

215.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

$707 WST 1,939

357.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 PGK 3,196

$1,134 WST 3,113

-35.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,369

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,868

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Samoa: June 1, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 17% 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 18% 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 18% 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.