Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,702 in Port Moresby versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Port Moresby versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,181 in Port Moresby versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 26% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 27% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 PGK 41.38

$16.19 €14.15

-41.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.47 PGK 213

$63.3 €55.3

-23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 PGK 25.84

$10.32 €9.02

-43.12%

Cappuccino

$2.29 PGK 10.09

$2.83 €2.47

-19.08%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.53

$2.29 €2.00

-65.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 PGK 3.45

$1.58 €1.38

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 PGK 10.76

$3.40 €2.97

-27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 PGK 18.15

$4.03 €3.52

2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 PGK 8.51

$1.09 €0.95

77.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 PGK 7.02

$1.75 €1.53

-8.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 PGK 6.55

$1.76 €1.54

-15.34%

Eggs

$3.75 PGK 16.49

$3.17 €2.77

18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 PGK 19.91

$13.19 €11.53

-65.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 PGK 27.35

$7.97 €6.96

-21.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 PGK 42.96

$15.53 €13.57

-37.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.90

$2.37 €2.07

71.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 PGK 12.39

$1.71 €1.49

64.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 PGK 25.08

$2.01 €1.75

183.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 PGK 23.81

$2.43 €2.12

122.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 PGK 14.29

$1.76 €1.54

84.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 PGK 12.21

$2.03 €1.78

36.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 PGK 13.55

$1.92 €1.68

60.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 PGK 5.58

$0.85 €0.74

49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 PGK 30.74

$6.58 €5.75

6.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 PGK 52.2

$5.58 €4.87

112.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 PGK 12.39

$1.33 €1.16

112.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 PGK 16.84

$2.97 €2.60

28.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$2.28 €1.99

-78.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.88 PGK 105

$45.79 €40.01

-47.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 PGK 26.85

$4.23 €3.69

44.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 PGK 10.73

$0.81 €0.71

201.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 PGK 75.2

$18.44 €16.11

-7.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PGK 5.00

$2.08 €1.82

-45.19%

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

$22.3K PGK 98.2K

$34.7K €30.3K

-35.63%

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

$24.9K PGK 109.4K

$39.2K €34.2K

-36.51%

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

$108 PGK 475

$148 €129

-27.15%

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

$47.63 PGK 210

$20.46 €17.88

132.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$377 PGK 1,657

$39.56 €34.56

851.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 PGK 293

$47.99 €41.93

38.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.71 PGK 91.1

$18.60 €16.25

11.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 PGK 43.29

$9.22 €8.06

6.72%

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

$633 PGK 2,786

$616 €538

2.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,013 PGK 17.7K

$16.4K €14.4K

-75.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.33 PGK 138

$103 €89.7

-69.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.00 PGK 163

$41.74 €36.47

-11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 PGK 335

$94.8 €82.8

-19.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 PGK 428

$122 €107

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 PGK 9,694

$1,633 €1,426

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 PGK 2,102

$1,232 €1,077

-61.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,447 PGK 15.2K

$3,098 €2,707

11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 PGK 3,694

$2,031 €1,775

-58.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,088 PGK 9,188

$7,831 €6,842

-73.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,904 PGK 17.2K

$4,389 €3,835

-11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 PGK 1,932

$1,607 €1,404

-72.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.33

3.81

249.87%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,203 in Port Moresby and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 266% 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: $48.00 in Port Moresby vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby and Lisbon differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,702 vs $2,291 including rent). Port Moresby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Lisbon. 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: $2,203 in Port Moresby versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in Port Moresby versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Port Moresby is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Lisbon 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 Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.