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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Port Moresby versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Port Moresby versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,177 in Port Moresby versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 37% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 28% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 PGK 41.14

$4.56 ฿149

110.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.53 PGK 208

$46.63 ฿1,519

4.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 PGK 26.19

$8.47 ฿276

-27.98%

Cappuccino

$2.24 PGK 9.61

$3.03 ฿98.6

-26.07%

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

$0.76 PGK 3.27

$0.69 ฿22.45

10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 PGK 3.44

$0.37 ฿11.92

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 PGK 10.51

$2.49 ฿81.0

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PGK 17.71

$3.66 ฿119

12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 PGK 8.61

$2.18 ฿71.0

-8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 PGK 6.96

$1.90 ฿62.0

-14.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.49

$2.20 ฿71.6

-31.36%

Eggs

$3.93 PGK 16.90

$2.22 ฿72.4

77.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 PGK 19.47

$19.99 ฿651

-77.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 PGK 26.60

$3.66 ฿119

69.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 PGK 40.95

$13.25 ฿432

-28.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PGK 17.85

$3.23 ฿105

28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 PGK 12.51

$1.70 ฿55.3

71.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 PGK 23.65

$2.39 ฿78.0

130.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 PGK 24.26

$2.08 ฿67.7

171.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 PGK 14.42

$1.59 ฿51.8

111.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 PGK 11.57

$1.48 ฿48.31

81.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 PGK 12.70

$1.03 ฿33.54

187.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 PGK 5.50

$0.52 ฿16.83

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 PGK 29.04

$4.25 ฿138

59.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 PGK 51.4

$18.79 ฿612

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 PGK 12.27

$1.76 ฿57.2

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 PGK 16.81

$2.76 ฿89.8

41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.13

$1.36 ฿44.32

-63.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.66 PGK 102

$11.36 ฿370

108.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 PGK 25.28

$3.14 ฿102

87.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 10.76

$1.04 ฿33.74

140.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.88 PGK 72.5

$13.77 ฿448

22.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PGK 4.85

$1.34 ฿43.79

-15.67%

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

$22.3K PGK 95.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-19.57%

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

$24.6K PGK 105.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-27.31%

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

$104 PGK 448

$124 ฿4,025

-15.54%

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

$48.34 PGK 208

$13.52 ฿440

257.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$382 PGK 1,641

$18.69 ฿609

1943.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 PGK 282

$61.8 ฿2,013

6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.26 PGK 87.0

$17.25 ฿562

17.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 PGK 41.38

$9.14 ฿298

5.36%

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

$652 PGK 2,801

$703 ฿22.9K

-7.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,976 PGK 17.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-74.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.89 PGK 137

$59.5 ฿1,937

-46.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.64 PGK 162

$35.07 ฿1,142

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 PGK 329

$115 ฿3,754

-33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 PGK 428

$84.1 ฿2,737

18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 PGK 9,230

$619 ฿20.1K

247.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 PGK 2,042

$433 ฿14.1K

9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,424 PGK 14.7K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

66.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 PGK 3,545

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-45.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,075 PGK 8,913

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-43.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 PGK 16.7K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

48.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PGK 1,859

$507 ฿16.5K

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.33

5.33

150.09%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,149 in Port Moresby and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Port Moresby vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 17% less. 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: $2,149 in Port Moresby versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $652 in Port Moresby versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Port Moresby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Moresby, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Port Moresby and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.