Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $1,821 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $1,821 in Dunedin.

Port Moresby $1,532
Dunedin $1,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $2,717 in Dunedin.

Port Moresby $2,418
Dunedin $2,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $3,613 in Dunedin.

Port Moresby $3,305
Dunedin $3,613

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 16% less than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 14% above, Dunedin 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.99

$13.73 NZ$24.47

-43.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$61.8 NZ$110

-28.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.59

$11.42 NZ$20.35

-52.89%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$3.23 NZ$5.75

-24.46%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$2.08 NZ$3.71

-62.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$2.09 NZ$3.72

-67.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$6.85 NZ$12.21

-57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.60

$6.02 NZ$10.72

-40.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$2.18 NZ$3.88

-16.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$1.94 NZ$3.46

-20.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$1.75 NZ$3.12

-20.57%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$5.83 NZ$10.39

-37.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$8.15 NZ$14.52

6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.56

$9.43 NZ$16.80

-40.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.47

$16.55 NZ$29.49

-40.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$2.87 NZ$5.12

46.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$2.34 NZ$4.17

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$3.10 NZ$5.52

126.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$5.04 NZ$8.99

30.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$1.83 NZ$3.26

85.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$1.84 NZ$3.28

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.21

$2.38 NZ$4.24

-2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$0.55 NZ$0.99

134.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$20.93 NZ$37.29

-70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.05

$8.87 NZ$15.81

20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$1.24 NZ$2.22

183.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$1.09 NZ$1.94

-61.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$68.1 NZ$121

-67.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$5.65 NZ$10.08

-3.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$27.97 NZ$49.83

-44.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.71 NZ$3.05

-45.03%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$25.1K NZ$44.8K

95.74%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$25.0K NZ$44.6K

-31.09%

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

$117 PGK 513

$111 NZ$197

5.84%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$28.28 NZ$50.4

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 400

$51.1 NZ$91.0

78.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$48.05 NZ$85.6

25.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$10.43 NZ$18.58

-16.20%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$591 NZ$1,053

41.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$57.5 NZ$102

-42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$34.52 NZ$61.5

-8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$92.9 NZ$165

46.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$132 NZ$236

21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,912

$876 NZ$1,561

80.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$751 NZ$1,338

-26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$1,474 NZ$2,627

106.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,946

$1,150 NZ$2,049

-1.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,918

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$2,256 NZ$4,019

66.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,882

$2,455 NZ$4,375

-82.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

7.07

72.14%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Dunedin

$751 41.8% 36.3% $200

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Dunedin

$320 17.8% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Dunedin

$190 10.6% 17.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Dunedin

$143 7.9% 12% $19

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Dunedin

$246 13.7% 82.2% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Dunedin

$69 3.8% 11.3% $8.8

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Dunedin

$78 * 4.4% 93.6% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $876 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 472% 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 $62.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $320 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

105,000

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, 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).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Dunedin 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Dunedin

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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby and Dunedin differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,532 vs $1,821 including rent). Port Moresby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 472% lower in Dunedin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,577 in Port Moresby versus $876 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Moresby runs roughly 210% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $836 in Port Moresby versus $591 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $1,821 in Dunedin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby 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 Dunedin 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.