Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,532 per month in Port Moresby vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Port Moresby $1,532
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $2,418 per month in Port Moresby vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Port Moresby $2,418
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $3,305 per month in Port Moresby vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Port Moresby $3,305
Bansko $1,957

Port Moresby costs about 58% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Moresby sits 14% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.99

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-10.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.59

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-40.29%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$2.24 BGN 3.92

8.93%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-48.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$1.76 BGN 3.07

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.60

$2.00 BGN 3.51

78.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.79 BGN 3.14

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$0.81 BGN 1.42

90.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-8.55%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$2.30 BGN 4.02

57.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.56

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.47

$8.64 BGN 15.12

14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$1.28 BGN 2.24

228.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$1.68 BGN 2.95

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$1.70 BGN 2.98

312.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$1.89 BGN 3.30

247.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$0.93 BGN 1.63

265.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$0.76 BGN 1.32

284.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.21

$0.54 BGN 0.95

331.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$0.58 BGN 1.02

122.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$3.44 BGN 6.02

81.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.05

$5.14 BGN 9.00

108.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$1.11 BGN 1.94

128.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$1.70 BGN 2.97

106.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-52.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$26.76 BGN 46.83

-17.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$1.29 BGN 2.26

320.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$0.65 BGN 1.14

246.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$10.18 BGN 17.81

51.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-37.33%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

70.76%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-19.57%

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

$117 PGK 513

$91.4 BGN 160

28.08%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$14.68 BGN 25.68

54.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 400

$12.07 BGN 21.12

655.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$32.28 BGN 56.5

86.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$8.60 BGN 15.05

156.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$5.63 BGN 9.86

55.24%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$228 BGN 400

266.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

170.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$30.48 BGN 53.3

7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$19.01 BGN 33.26

66.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$45.53 BGN 79.7

197.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$48.67 BGN 85.2

229.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,912

$521 BGN 913

202.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$367 BGN 643

49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$634 BGN 1,110

380.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,946

$558 BGN 976

102.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,918

$1,204 BGN 2,106

69.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$971 BGN 1,699

286.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,882

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-74.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

2.99

307.02%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Bansko

$367 38% 33.3% $184

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Bansko

$193 20% 39.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 48.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 60.1% $97

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Bansko

$145 15% 7.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 44% $34

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 13.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Port Moresby versus $521 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 289% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Port Moresby versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Port Moresby vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

7 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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 = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.204 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Bansko 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby, $970 in Bansko – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,298 per month in Port Moresby and $1,455 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Port Moresby and $47.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,532 in Port Moresby and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 58%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Port Moresby at $1,532. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Moresby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,532 in Port Moresby. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Moresby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.