Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Port Moresby $1,532
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Port Moresby $2,418
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Port Moresby $3,305
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 46% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 14% above, Melbourne 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

$17.75 A$25.49

-56.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$84.8 A$122

-48.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$12.16 A$17.46

-55.76%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$3.93 A$5.64

-37.91%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$3.14 A$4.51

-75.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$2.43 A$3.49

-72.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$9.90 A$14.22

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

$8.29 A$11.91

-57.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.55 A$2.22

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$3.01 A$4.32

-48.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$2.88 A$4.14

-51.74%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$5.44 A$7.82

-33.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$10.59 A$15.22

-18.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

$9.61 A$13.81

-41.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

$14.99 A$21.54

-33.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$4.15 A$5.96

1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$3.05 A$4.38

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$3.30 A$4.74

112.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$4.76 A$6.83

37.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$3.04 A$4.36

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$2.55 A$3.66

14.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

$2.48 A$3.56

-6.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$1.63 A$2.34

-20.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$44.07 A$63.3

-85.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

$12.43 A$17.85

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$5.33 A$7.65

-52.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

$5.16 A$7.41

-31.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$3.84 A$5.52

-89.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$142 A$203

-84.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$4.40 A$6.32

23.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.40 A$2.01

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$29.83 A$42.84

-48.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.46 A$2.09

-35.62%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$28.1K A$40.4K

74.78%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$25.9K A$37.3K

-33.50%

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

$117 PGK 513

$233 A$334

-49.66%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$27.28 A$39.19

-16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

$57.0 A$81.9

59.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$52.7 A$75.7

14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$22.62 A$32.49

-2.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$17.10 A$24.57

-48.89%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$2,373 A$3,409

-64.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$30.5K A$43.8K

-79.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$78.2 A$112

-57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$50.5 A$72.5

-37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$121 A$173

12.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$133 A$191

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

$1,713 A$2,460

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$1,402 A$2,014

-60.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$3,339 A$4,796

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

$2,529 A$3,632

-55.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

$7,018 A$10.1K

-71.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$6,767 A$9,721

-44.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

$4,228 A$6,074

-89.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

5.9

106.27%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 154% $851

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 20.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 37.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 6.1% $9.9

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Melbourne

$314 11% 133% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 11.8% $9.2

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 317% $128

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 885% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $385 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

1 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Melbourne 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby and Melbourne differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,532 vs $2,852 including rent). Port Moresby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 885% lower in Melbourne. 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 $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $836 in Port Moresby versus $2,373 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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 Melbourne 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 86% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.