Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Navua

For one person, living is cheaper in Navua: $66.8 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Navua

🇫🇯 Fiji

$66.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $66.8 in Navua.

Port Moresby $1,532
Navua $66.8

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $109 in Navua.

Port Moresby $2,418
Navua $109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $152 in Navua.

Port Moresby $3,305
Navua $152

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 2195% more expensive than in Navua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 14% above, Navua is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$6.55 FJD 14.68

-17.86%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$0.55 FJD 1.23

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$3.03 FJD 6.78

19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$4.98 FJD 11.14

40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$1.49 FJD 3.33

340.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$0.84 FJD 1.89

304.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

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

$117 PGK 513

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

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

$836 PGK 3,665

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Navua: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Navua

–

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Navua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Navua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Navua

–

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Navua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Navua

–

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Navua

–

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇫🇯 Navua

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

21:47 9:47 PM

2 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

5,812

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.399 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, 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).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.399 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Navua 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Navua

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 Navua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby and Navua differ by about 2195% in total monthly costs ($1,532 vs $66.8 including rent). Navua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,298 in Port Moresby and $100 in Navua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 574% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,532 per month in Port Moresby versus $66.8 in Navua – a 2195% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $66.8 in Navua versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Navua but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Navua 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 Navua 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 Navua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2195% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.