Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
Learn more

Port Moresby Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,532 per month in Port Moresby vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Moresby $1,532
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,418 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Moresby $2,418
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,305 per month in Port Moresby vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Moresby $3,305
Nosara $3,712

Port Moresby is about 17% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Moresby and Nosara sit above the global median – Port Moresby by 14%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

$12.22 ₡5,509

-36.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-27.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$7.54 ₡3,399

-28.65%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$4.31 ₡1,941

-43.39%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$1.72 ₡773

-55.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$1.35 ₡608

-50.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$3.24 ₡1,459

-10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

$4.48 ₡2,018

-20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.57 ₡707

15.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$3.17 ₡1,429

-51.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$2.42 ₡1,091

-42.56%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$3.57 ₡1,609

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$7.43 ₡3,349

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

$10.42 ₡4,697

-46.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

$13.66 ₡6,156

-27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$2.32 ₡1,044

81.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$1.61 ₡728

93.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$4.74 ₡2,138

47.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$1.66 ₡747

295.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$3.72 ₡1,679

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

$1.10 ₡497

111.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$2.55 ₡1,149

-49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$4.95 ₡2,232

26.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

$20.01 ₡9,020

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$2.79 ₡1,256

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

$3.53 ₡1,589

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$1.19 ₡537

-64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-69.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$2.24 ₡1,011

142.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.55 ₡701

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$8.86 ₡3,993

74.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

125.63%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-50.19%

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

$117 PGK 513

$93.5 ₡42.1K

25.33%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-35.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

$51.5 ₡23.2K

77.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-15.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$7.84 ₡3,535

11.48%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$490 ₡220.7K

70.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-47.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-38.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-43.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$79.3 ₡35.7K

71.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$78.9 ₡35.6K

103.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

$786 ₡354.3K

100.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$780 ₡351.6K

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-19.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-70.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

212.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

$876 ₡395.0K

-51.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

8.62

41.18%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 41.5% $229

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 9.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 22% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 25.8% $42

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 55.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 12% $9.4

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 115% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Port Moresby versus $786 in Nosara. 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 104% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Port Moresby versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $350 – making Port Moresby the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

20:58 8:58 PM

16 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Nosara 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,298 per month in Port Moresby and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 228% less in Port Moresby. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $836 per month in Port Moresby and $490 in Nosara. 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 Port Moresby, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Port Moresby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,532 in Port Moresby to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Port Moresby. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.