Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Invercargill

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Moresby and in Invercargill: $1,469 and $1,412 a month, rent and utilities included.

71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,469 per month in Port Moresby vs $1,412 in Invercargill, rent included.

Port Moresby $1,469
Invercargill $1,412

A couple spends around $2,315 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,099 in Invercargill, rent included.

Port Moresby $2,315
Invercargill $2,099

A family of three spends $3,161 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,785 in Invercargill, rent included.

Port Moresby $3,161
Invercargill $2,785

Port Moresby costs about 4% more than Invercargill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Moresby and Invercargill sit above the global median – Port Moresby by 9%, Invercargill by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.97

$14.04 NZ$24.83

-44.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 PGK 193

$61.2 NZ$108

-28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PGK 24.55

$8.32 NZ$14.71

-32.57%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PGK 11.13

$3.12 NZ$5.52

-18.59%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$1.65 NZ$2.92

-55.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$2.03 NZ$3.60

-66.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.28

$2.74 NZ$4.85

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 PGK 16.10

$2.74 NZ$4.85

34.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PGK 8.02

$1.68 NZ$2.96

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.55

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PGK 5.97

$1.76 NZ$3.11

-22.73%

Eggs

$3.74 PGK 16.38

$5.58 NZ$9.87

-32.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 PGK 39.08

$8.23 NZ$14.55

8.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PGK 21.64

$8.83 NZ$15.61

-44.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 PGK 41.82

$12.12 NZ$21.44

-21.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 PGK 19.31

$2.55 NZ$4.50

72.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 PGK 14.29

$2.36 NZ$4.17

38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 PGK 31.87

$2.66 NZ$4.70

173.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 PGK 28.27

$3.52 NZ$6.23

83.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.49

$3.21 NZ$5.68

-4.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 PGK 13.10

$1.61 NZ$2.85

85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 PGK 10.29

$2.33 NZ$4.13

0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PGK 5.82

$1.04 NZ$1.84

27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$20.39 NZ$36.06

-68.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 PGK 47.88

$8.56 NZ$15.14

27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 PGK 11.83

$2.86 NZ$5.06

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$3.39 NZ$5.99

4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 PGK 21.51

$2.27 NZ$4.01

116.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.94 NZ$3.42

15.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 PGK 64.4

$27.73 NZ$49.04

-46.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 PGK 4.38

$1.59 NZ$2.81

-37.11%

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

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

113.24%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

-4.99%

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

$118 PGK 516

$109 NZ$192

8.35%

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

$20.84 PGK 91.2

$32.30 NZ$57.1

-35.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 PGK 360

$42.46 NZ$75.1

93.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

$27.87 NZ$49.29

121.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

$13.77 NZ$24.34

61.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 PGK 38.51

$8.82 NZ$15.60

-0.23%

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

$563 PGK 2,465

$589 NZ$1,042

-4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.46 PGK 155

$57.4 NZ$102

-38.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 PGK 149

$35.07 NZ$62.0

-3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 PGK 305

$70.0 NZ$124

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 PGK 422

$79.0 NZ$140

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

$594 NZ$1,050

157.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

$551 NZ$974

2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

$831 NZ$1,470

245.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

$764 NZ$1,350

54.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

$5,482 NZ$9,695

-61.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

$5,034 NZ$8,902

-24.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,870

$2,729 NZ$4,826

-84.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

6.72

81.10%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

Invercargill

$551 39% 2.4% $14

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.8%

Invercargill

$298 21.1% 6.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$221 15%

Invercargill

$183 13% 16.9% $37

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$138 9.4%

Invercargill

$209 14.8% 51.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.2%

Invercargill

$109 7.7% 2.6% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Invercargill

$46 3.2% 42.6% $34

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$41 2.8%

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2% 56.9% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $594 in Invercargill. 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 539% higher in Invercargill, 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 $61.0 in Invercargill. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Port Moresby vs $298 in Invercargill – so Invercargill wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

56,200

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Invercargill 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Invercargill

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby costs about 4% more than Invercargill, 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 $2,119 in Invercargill. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,469 in Port Moresby and $1,412 in Invercargill. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Port Moresby and $589 in Invercargill. 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 Invercargill, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Port Moresby at $1,469. In Invercargill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Moresby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Invercargill. 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.