Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Moresby and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Port Moresby $1,469
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,315 in Port Moresby versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Port Moresby $2,315
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,161 in Port Moresby versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Port Moresby $3,161
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 6% less than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 9% above, Palmerston North 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.97

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-42.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 PGK 193

$63.7 NZ$113

-30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PGK 24.55

$8.80 NZ$15.56

-36.25%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PGK 11.13

$3.13 NZ$5.54

-18.85%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-68.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-58.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.28

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 PGK 16.10

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-43.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PGK 8.02

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.55

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-29.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PGK 5.97

$1.37 NZ$2.42

-0.73%

Eggs

$3.74 PGK 16.38

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-22.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 PGK 39.08

$6.41 NZ$11.34

39.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PGK 21.64

$9.50 NZ$16.80

-48.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 PGK 41.82

$10.78 NZ$19.06

-11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 PGK 19.31

$2.54 NZ$4.48

73.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 PGK 14.29

$2.23 NZ$3.94

46.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 PGK 31.87

$2.30 NZ$4.07

216.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 PGK 28.27

$5.53 NZ$9.78

16.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.49

$1.41 NZ$2.49

118.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 PGK 13.10

$0.86 NZ$1.53

247.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 PGK 10.29

$1.72 NZ$3.04

36.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PGK 5.82

$0.75 NZ$1.33

77.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-70.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 PGK 47.88

$7.91 NZ$13.99

38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 PGK 11.83

$2.65 NZ$4.69

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$2.78 NZ$4.91

26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-88.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

$82.3 NZ$146

-72.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 PGK 21.51

$1.87 NZ$3.30

162.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.78 NZ$3.14

26.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 PGK 64.4

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-11.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 PGK 4.38

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-39.02%

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

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

135.32%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

-27.56%

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

$118 PGK 516

$68.2 NZ$121

72.69%

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

$20.84 PGK 91.2

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-35.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 PGK 360

$34.64 NZ$61.3

137.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

$21.79 NZ$38.54

183.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

$14.08 NZ$24.90

57.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 PGK 38.51

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-24.14%

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

$563 PGK 2,465

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-45.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

-27.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.46 PGK 155

$69.5 NZ$123

-48.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 PGK 149

$27.70 NZ$48.98

22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 PGK 305

$83.1 NZ$147

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 PGK 422

$82.5 NZ$146

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

$906 NZ$1,602

69.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

$639 NZ$1,129

-11.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

$1,587 NZ$2,807

81.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

$1,311 NZ$2,318

-9.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

$2,023 NZ$3,577

3.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

$1,836 NZ$3,247

106.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,870

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-82.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

5.39

125.79%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 13.2% $74

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.8%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 11.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$221 15%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 38.9% $86

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$138 9.4%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 69.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.2%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 11.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 43.3% $34

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$41 2.8%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 167% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,532 in Port Moresby and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 484% 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $283, with Palmerston North cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

90,500

💱 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 Palmerston North 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby and Palmerston North differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,469 vs $1,562 including rent). Port Moresby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 484% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $563 in Port Moresby versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North 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 6% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.