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: $1,728 in Port Moresby versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,491 in Port Moresby versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,255 in Port Moresby versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 40% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 29% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 PGK 41.57

$4.63 ฿151

105.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.64 PGK 212

$46.84 ฿1,523

3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 PGK 26.00

$8.84 ฿287

-32.58%

Cappuccino

$2.29 PGK 9.99

$3.00 ฿97.4

-23.67%

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

$0.81 PGK 3.53

$0.74 ฿24.11

9.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 PGK 3.47

$0.37 ฿11.88

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 PGK 10.71

$2.44 ฿79.3

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 PGK 18.18

$3.61 ฿117

15.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 PGK 8.42

$2.26 ฿73.5

-14.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 PGK 6.80

$1.84 ฿59.8

-15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 PGK 6.77

$2.24 ฿73.0

-30.80%

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.28

$2.32 ฿75.3

60.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.36 PGK 19.02

$19.67 ฿639

-77.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 PGK 26.81

$3.65 ฿119

68.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 PGK 42.34

$13.10 ฿426

-25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.23

$3.39 ฿110

16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 PGK 12.33

$1.64 ฿53.4

72.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 PGK 24.04

$2.41 ฿78.5

128.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 PGK 24.13

$2.03 ฿66.0

172.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 PGK 14.37

$1.56 ฿50.6

111.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 PGK 11.81

$1.50 ฿48.66

80.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 PGK 12.84

$1.02 ฿33.30

189.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PGK 5.82

$0.49 ฿15.91

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 PGK 30.30

$4.45 ฿145

56.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 PGK 50.7

$18.88 ฿614

-38.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 PGK 12.45

$1.78 ฿57.7

60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 PGK 16.28

$2.75 ฿89.5

35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 PGK 2.15

$1.40 ฿45.54

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.46 PGK 107

$11.48 ฿373

113.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 PGK 26.48

$3.12 ฿101

94.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.83

$1.00 ฿32.48

148.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 PGK 72.3

$14.09 ฿458

17.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PGK 4.97

$1.35 ฿43.93

-15.56%

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

$23.1K PGK 100.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-15.09%

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

$24.7K PGK 107.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.08%

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

$108 PGK 471

$125 ฿4,063

-13.55%

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

$47.93 PGK 209

$13.57 ฿441

253.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$375 PGK 1,635

$18.52 ฿602

1924.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 PGK 292

$61.5 ฿1,999

8.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 PGK 88.3

$16.84 ฿547

20.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 PGK 42.36

$9.19 ฿299

5.66%

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

$636 PGK 2,771

$698 ฿22.7K

-8.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 PGK 17.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-74.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.24 PGK 136

$57.8 ฿1,878

-45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.61 PGK 164

$35.24 ฿1,146

6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 PGK 342

$113 ฿3,677

-30.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 PGK 427

$86.4 ฿2,808

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 PGK 9,592

$616 ฿20.0K

257.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 PGK 2,082

$446 ฿14.5K

7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 PGK 14.9K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 PGK 3,680

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-43.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,150 PGK 9,376

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-43.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,903 PGK 17.0K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

47.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 PGK 1,897

$524 ฿17.0K

-16.95%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,200 in Port Moresby and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $304 vs $292 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 20% 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: $2,200 in Port Moresby versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $636 in Port Moresby versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,728 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 40% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.