Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Moresby and in Apia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $851 in Apia.

Port Moresby $1,532
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $2,281 in Apia.

Port Moresby $2,418
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $3,711 in Apia.

Port Moresby $3,305
Apia $3,711

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 80% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 14% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.99

$47.76 WST 133

-83.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$36.89 WST 103

18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.59

$14.51 WST 40.39

-62.92%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$2.93 WST 8.15

-16.72%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$1.80 WST 5.01

-57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$1.39 WST 3.88

-51.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$3.51 WST 9.78

-17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.60

$3.67 WST 10.20

-3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.83 WST 5.09

-0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$0.84 WST 2.34

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$1.86 WST 5.17

-25.27%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$4.15 WST 11.55

-12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$0.94 WST 2.62

819.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.56

$3.67 WST 10.21

52.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.47

$8.60 WST 23.92

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$5.22 WST 14.54

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$1.79 WST 4.99

74.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$1.87 WST 5.21

274.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$4.34 WST 12.07

51.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$3.70 WST 10.29

-8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$1.11 WST 3.10

163.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$1.22 WST 3.40

5.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$6.31 WST 17.55

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.05

$16.32 WST 45.41

-34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$1.87 WST 5.19

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$3.68 WST 10.24

-4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$3.57 WST 9.94

-88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$5.33 WST 14.84

1.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$5.42 WST 15.08

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$21.64 WST 60.2

-28.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.06 WST 2.95

-11.32%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

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

$117 PGK 513

$18.16 WST 50.6

544.93%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$18.40 WST 51.2

23.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 400

$36.53 WST 102

149.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

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

$836 PGK 3,665

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,912

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,946

$1,790 WST 4,982

-36.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,918

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,882

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $241 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Apia 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Apia

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

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

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Port Moresby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,298 in Port Moresby and $1,277 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,532 per month in Port Moresby versus $851 in Apia – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Port Moresby and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.