Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Gisborne

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,434 a month against $1,943 in Gisborne, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Gisborne
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Gisborne Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,434

/mo nomad

Gisborne

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,434 in Port Moresby versus $1,943 in Gisborne.

Port Moresby $1,434
Gisborne $1,943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Port Moresby versus $2,973 in Gisborne.

Port Moresby $2,255
Gisborne $2,973

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,075 in Port Moresby versus $4,003 in Gisborne.

Port Moresby $3,075
Gisborne $4,003

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 26% less than in Gisborne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 6% above, Gisborne 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 PGK 33.22

$28.26 NZ$49.97

-73.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.28 PGK 194

$53.7 NZ$94.9

-17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 PGK 23.77

$9.03 NZ$15.96

-39.87%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PGK 11.05

$3.44 NZ$6.09

-26.74%

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

$0.76 PGK 3.31

$2.07 NZ$3.66

-63.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.98

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 PGK 12.90

$6.22 NZ$11.01

-52.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 PGK 15.00

$5.76 NZ$10.18

-40.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 PGK 7.86

$1.76 NZ$3.12

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 PGK 6.62

$2.03 NZ$3.58

-25.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 PGK 5.83

$1.75 NZ$3.10

-24.00%

Eggs

$3.65 PGK 15.97

$5.93 NZ$10.49

-38.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 PGK 37.68

$8.14 NZ$14.40

5.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 PGK 21.58

$9.69 NZ$17.13

-49.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 PGK 41.17

$14.19 NZ$25.09

-33.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 PGK 18.41

$2.65 NZ$4.68

58.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 PGK 13.74

$2.15 NZ$3.81

46.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.35 PGK 32.18

$2.97 NZ$5.25

147.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 PGK 27.65

$5.48 NZ$9.69

15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 PGK 12.72

$2.00 NZ$3.53

45.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 PGK 12.17

$1.47 NZ$2.60

89.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 PGK 10.06

$2.21 NZ$3.91

4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PGK 5.76

$1.11 NZ$1.97

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 PGK 27.44

$24.86 NZ$43.96

-74.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 PGK 48.11

$9.53 NZ$16.85

15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PGK 11.64

$3.53 NZ$6.24

-24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 PGK 14.71

$2.95 NZ$5.21

13.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.01

$1.57 NZ$2.77

-70.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.77 PGK 95.3

$76.0 NZ$134

-71.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 PGK 21.88

$2.45 NZ$4.32

104.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 PGK 9.78

$1.67 NZ$2.96

33.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 PGK 63.1

$28.09 NZ$49.68

-48.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 PGK 4.50

$2.19 NZ$3.88

-52.97%

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

$48.7K PGK 213.2K

$30.9K NZ$54.6K

57.75%

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

$17.2K PGK 75.2K

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

-31.90%

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

$114 PGK 500

$103 NZ$182

11.26%

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

$20.52 PGK 89.9

$24.95 NZ$44.12

-17.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 PGK 362

$48.54 NZ$85.8

70.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 PGK 271

$34.81 NZ$61.6

77.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.92 PGK 95.9

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 PGK 37.80

$11.38 NZ$20.12

-24.08%

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

$554 PGK 2,427

$664 NZ$1,174

-16.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,105 PGK 26.7K

$19.5K NZ$34.5K

-68.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.29 PGK 155

$59.3 NZ$105

-40.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 PGK 154

$35.00 NZ$61.9

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 PGK 304

$87.7 NZ$155

-20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 PGK 423

$95.5 NZ$169

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 PGK 6,599

$1,048 NZ$1,854

43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 PGK 2,376

$814 NZ$1,440

-33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 PGK 12.3K

$1,871 NZ$3,310

50.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 PGK 4,909

$1,470 NZ$2,599

-23.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,012 PGK 8,808

$5,477 NZ$9,685

-63.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,719 PGK 16.3K

$3,709 NZ$6,560

0.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 PGK 1,831

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

5.57

118.49%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gisborne: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$543 37.9%

Gisborne

$814 41.9% 50.1% $272

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$314 21.9%

Gisborne

$323 16.6% 3% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$217 15.2%

Gisborne

$176 9.1% 18.9% $41

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 9.4%

Gisborne

$353 18.2% 162% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.4%

Gisborne

$125 6.4% 17.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.5%

Gisborne

$58 3% 27.2% $21

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.8%

Gisborne

$93 4.8% 134% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,507 in Port Moresby and $1,048 in Gisborne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $54.0 in Gisborne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $323 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Gisborne

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

37,300

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Gisborne 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Gisborne

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 Gisborne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,151 in Port Moresby and $2,914 in Gisborne 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,507 in Port Moresby versus $1,048 in Gisborne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,434 per month in Port Moresby versus $1,943 in Gisborne – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Port Moresby runs roughly 249% less than in Gisborne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,434 in Port Moresby versus $1,943 in Gisborne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Gisborne. 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 Gisborne 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 35% less than in Gisborne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.