Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $934 in Cebu.

Port Moresby $1,532
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Port Moresby $2,418
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Port Moresby $3,305
Cebu $1,896

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 64% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 14% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

$3.03 ₱191

156.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$23.48 ₱1,476

86.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$4.09 ₱257

31.54%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$2.52 ₱158

-3.17%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$1.54 ₱97.2

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$0.49 ₱31.06

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$1.79 ₱113

62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

$2.26 ₱142

57.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.95 ₱122

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$1.43 ₱89.9

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$1.02 ₱64.0

36.27%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$2.06 ₱129

75.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$9.81 ₱617

-11.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

$4.61 ₱290

21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

$7.70 ₱484

28.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$3.31 ₱208

27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$1.45 ₱91.2

115.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$2.36 ₱148

197.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$1.54 ₱96.6

325.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$2.36 ₱148

44.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$1.99 ₱125

46.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

$1.15 ₱72.3

102.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$0.67 ₱42.26

92.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$3.00 ₱189

108.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

$6.35 ₱399

68.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$1.31 ₱82.1

93.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

$1.73 ₱109

102.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$0.25 ₱15.82

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$12.65 ₱796

73.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$0.74 ₱46.44

633.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$0.21 ₱13.15

971.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$4.33 ₱272

257.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.33 ₱83.7

-29.32%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

126.02%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-11.05%

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

$117 PGK 513

$121 ₱7,583

-2.87%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$14.45 ₱909

56.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

$28.29 ₱1,779

222.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$32.68 ₱2,055

84.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$6.39 ₱402

244.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$5.46 ₱343

60.07%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$273 ₱17.2K

205.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-23.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$49.57 ₱3,117

-33.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$24.87 ₱1,564

27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$76.6 ₱4,817

77.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$59.3 ₱3,727

170.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

$506 ₱31.8K

211.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$309 ₱19.5K

78.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

189.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

$619 ₱38.9K

82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-30.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

101.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

$341 ₱21.5K

25.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

7.2

69.03%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 43.8% $242

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 34.2% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 29.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 41.6% $68

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 34.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 43.9% $34

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 61.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Moresby pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

2 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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 = 0.203 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Cebu 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Port Moresby, 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: $1,577 in Port Moresby versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,532 per month in Port Moresby versus $934 in Cebu – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 74% less than in Port Moresby. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu 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, Port Moresby and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.