Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,364 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,364

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papua New Guinea and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Papua New Guinea and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Papua New Guinea $1,364
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $2,170 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Papua New Guinea $2,170
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $2,976 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Papua New Guinea $2,976
United States $5,258

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 49% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Papua New Guinea and the United States are pricier than the global median – Papua New Guinea by 1%, the United States by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 PGK 31.04

$19.73 $19.73

-64.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.55 PGK 195

$81.0 $81.0

-44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 PGK 23.42

$11.98 $11.98

-55.34%

Cappuccino

$2.33 PGK 10.18

$5.59 $5.59

-58.32%

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

$0.79 PGK 3.44

$2.78 $2.78

-71.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.92

$2.10 $2.10

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PGK 11.35

$5.98 $5.98

-56.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 PGK 17.38

$7.92 $7.92

-49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 PGK 7.88

$1.03 $1.03

74.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.57

$3.75 $3.75

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 PGK 5.78

$4.46 $4.46

-70.40%

Eggs

$3.63 PGK 15.89

$4.34 $4.34

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 PGK 28.42

$12.75 $12.75

-49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PGK 25.21

$12.27 $12.27

-53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 PGK 40.19

$17.29 $17.29

-46.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.52

$5.31 $5.31

-24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.39

$1.67 $1.67

97.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 PGK 26.93

$4.32 $4.32

42.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 PGK 22.42

$5.03 $5.03

1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.41

$2.81 $2.81

17.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 PGK 12.20

$3.05 $3.05

-8.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 PGK 8.79

$2.22 $2.22

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PGK 4.94

$2.35 $2.35

-51.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 PGK 28.66

$10.92 $10.92

-40.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 PGK 46.94

$14.87 $14.87

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 PGK 10.83

$2.10 $2.10

17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.23

$3.62 $3.62

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.01

$2.46 $2.46

-81.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.35 PGK 111

$65.7 $65.7

-61.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 PGK 21.07

$3.58 $3.58

34.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PGK 9.73

$1.90 $1.90

16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 PGK 53.5

$29.51 $29.51

-58.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 PGK 4.27

$1.02 $1.02

-3.92%

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

$29.0K PGK 127.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

2.48%

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

$22.7K PGK 99.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

-12.60%

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

$93.6 PGK 410

$221 $221

-57.62%

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

$24.89 PGK 109

$61.3 $61.3

-59.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 PGK 454

$73.3 $73.3

41.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 PGK 278

$44.89 $44.89

41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 PGK 106

$22.65 $22.65

6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 PGK 37.82

$15.16 $15.16

-43.01%

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

$522 PGK 2,283

$1,471 $1,471

-64.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,363 PGK 23.5K

$25.0K $25.0K

-78.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.28 PGK 159

$53.5 $53.5

-32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.70 PGK 148

$43.76 $43.76

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 PGK 281

$92.0 $92.0

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 PGK 374

$114 $114

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 PGK 5,855

$1,654 $1,654

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 PGK 2,167

$1,332 $1,332

-62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 PGK 11.8K

$2,669 $2,669

0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 PGK 4,678

$2,207 $2,207

-51.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,026 PGK 8,869

$3,054 $3,054

-33.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,702 PGK 16.2K

$2,522 $2,522

46.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$417 PGK 1,826

$4,391 $4,391

-90.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

6.55

108.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 19, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Papua New Guinea

$495 36.3%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 169% $837

Groceries & Markets

Papua New Guinea

$297 21.8%

United States

$413 15.1% 39% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papua New Guinea

$222 16.3%

United States

$355 13% 59.9% $133

Eating Out

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

United States

$326 12% 156% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Papua New Guinea

$99 7.2%

United States

$137 5% 38.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Papua New Guinea

$81 5.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 7% $5.7

Getting Around

Papua New Guinea

$43 3.2%

United States

$89 3.3% 106% $45

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $751 in Papua New Guinea vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,507 in Port Moresby and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $311 in Papua New Guinea vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 114% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 295% more in the United States.

Public transport is 286% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1358% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

14 h behind Papua New Guinea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,935,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Papua New Guinea United States 13,830 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Papua New Guinea
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 98% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $751 in Papua New Guinea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Papua New Guinea, adding to the overall 98% price gap.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in the United States 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.