Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Moresby Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Moresby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,728 in Port Moresby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,491 in Port Moresby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,255 in Port Moresby.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Port Moresby, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Port Moresby is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.53 PGK 41.38

-51.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$48.64 PGK 211

-3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.96 PGK 25.88

48.32%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.29 PGK 9.94

31.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.81 PGK 3.52

-8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.80 PGK 3.46

-53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.46 PGK 10.66

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.17 PGK 18.10

-13.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.93 PGK 8.38

17.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.56 PGK 6.77

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.55 PGK 6.74

44.52%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.73 PGK 16.21

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.36 PGK 18.93

351.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.15 PGK 26.69

-40.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.71 PGK 42.15

34.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.95 PGK 17.15

-14.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.83 PGK 12.28

-42.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.51 PGK 23.93

-56.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.53 PGK 24.02

-63.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$3.30 PGK 14.30

-52.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.71 PGK 11.76

-44.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.95 PGK 12.79

-65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.33 PGK 5.79

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.95 PGK 30.16

-35.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.62 PGK 50.4

62.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.85 PGK 12.39

-37.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.73 PGK 16.21

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.49 PGK 2.14

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$24.46 PGK 106

-53.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.07 PGK 26.36

-48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.48 PGK 10.78

-59.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$16.59 PGK 72.0

-15.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.14 PGK 4.95

18.42%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.1K PGK 100.2K

17.77%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K PGK 107.0K

33.48%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$108 PGK 469

15.67%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$47.93 PGK 208

-71.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$375 PGK 1,627

-95.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$66.9 PGK 290

-8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.25 PGK 87.9

-16.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.71 PGK 42.16

-5.36%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$636 PGK 2,759

9.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,045 PGK 17.6K

285.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$31.24 PGK 136

84.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.61 PGK 163

-6.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.4 PGK 340

44.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$98.0 PGK 425

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$2,200 PGK 9,548

-72.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$478 PGK 2,072

-6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$3,421 PGK 14.8K

-40.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$844 PGK 3,663

76.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,150 PGK 9,333

75.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,903 PGK 16.9K

-32.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$435 PGK 1,888

20.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.33

-60.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $2,200 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $304 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $2,200 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $636 in Port Moresby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,728 in Port Moresby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Moresby, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Port Moresby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.