Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Billings, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Moresby and in Billings, MT

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

A single person spends $1,469 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Port Moresby $1,469
Billings, MT $2,260

A couple spends around $2,315 per month in Port Moresby vs $3,500 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Port Moresby $2,315
Billings, MT $3,500

A family of three spends $3,161 per month in Port Moresby vs $4,739 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Port Moresby $3,161
Billings, MT $4,739

Port Moresby is about 35% cheaper than Billings, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Moresby and Billings, MT sit above the global median – Port Moresby by 9%, Billings, MT by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.97

$26.42 $26.42

-70.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 PGK 193

$74.7 $74.7

-41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PGK 24.55

$13.32 $13.32

-57.88%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PGK 11.13

$6.18 $6.18

-58.90%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$2.46 $2.46

-69.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.59 $1.59

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.28

$4.07 $4.07

-25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 PGK 16.10

$4.88 $4.88

-24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PGK 8.02

$1.05 $1.05

74.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.55

$3.54 $3.54

-57.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PGK 5.97

$3.10 $3.10

-56.13%

Eggs

$3.74 PGK 16.38

$3.07 $3.07

21.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 PGK 39.08

$11.84 $11.84

-24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PGK 21.64

$11.65 $11.65

-57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 PGK 41.82

$17.45 $17.45

-45.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 PGK 19.31

$3.57 $3.57

23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 PGK 14.29

$1.44 $1.44

127.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 PGK 31.87

$2.99 $2.99

143.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 PGK 28.27

$4.49 $4.49

43.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.49

$1.18 $1.18

161.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 PGK 13.10

$2.02 $2.02

48.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 PGK 10.29

$2.30 $2.30

2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PGK 5.82

$1.42 $1.42

-6.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$9.45 $9.45

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 PGK 47.88

$10.92 $10.92

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 PGK 11.83

$2.20 $2.20

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$5.07 $5.07

-30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

$1.96 $1.96

-76.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

$27.77 $27.77

-18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 PGK 21.51

$2.44 $2.44

101.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.35 $1.35

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 PGK 64.4

$59.1 $59.1

-75.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 PGK 4.38

$1.03 $1.03

-2.91%

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

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

$33.0K $33.0K

53.55%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

$24.3K $24.3K

-28.81%

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

$118 PGK 516

$176 $176

-32.97%

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

$20.84 PGK 91.2

$49.08 $49.08

-57.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 PGK 360

$85.9 $85.9

-4.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

$48.69 $48.69

26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

$15.19 $15.19

46.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 PGK 38.51

$13.57 $13.57

-35.15%

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

$563 PGK 2,465

$1,074 $1,074

-47.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

$19.1K $19.1K

-67.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.46 PGK 155

$61.2 $61.2

-42.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 PGK 149

$67.0 $67.0

-49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 PGK 305

$97.5 $97.5

-28.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 PGK 422

$121 $121

-20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

$1,262 $1,262

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

$947 $947

-40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

$2,110 $2,110

36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

$1,818 $1,818

-34.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

$2,393 $2,393

-12.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

$2,096 $2,096

80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,870

$3,936 $3,936

-89.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

6.4

90.16%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Last update for Billings, MT: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

Billings, MT

$947 41.9% 67.7% $382

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.8%

Billings, MT

$354 15.7% 10.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$221 15%

Billings, MT

$311 13.8% 40.7% $90

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$138 9.4%

Billings, MT

$372 16.5% 170% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.2%

Billings, MT

$156 6.9% 47.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Billings, MT

$76 3.4% 4.4% $3.5

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$41 2.8%

Billings, MT

$45 2% 9.8% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $1,262 in Billings, MT. 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 821% higher in Billings, MT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Port Moresby versus $75.0 in Billings, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $354 – making Port Moresby the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

11:50 11:50 AM

16 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

117,116

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Billings, MT 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Billings, MT

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 Billings, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 54% more than Port Moresby, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,203 per month in Port Moresby and $3,390 in Billings, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 22% less in Port Moresby. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Port Moresby and $1,074 in Billings, MT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Moresby, where all-in costs run around $1,469, than in Billings, MT at $2,260. In Port Moresby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Billings, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Moresby – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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