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: $1,555 in Port Moresby versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,389 in Port Moresby versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,223 in Port Moresby versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 23% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 13% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.97 PGK 34.48

$4.43 ฿145

79.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.04 PGK 199

$35.07 ฿1,151

31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 PGK 23.75

$8.96 ฿294

-38.73%

Cappuccino

$2.57 PGK 11.12

$3.00 ฿98.4

-14.33%

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

$0.79 PGK 3.41

$0.77 ฿25.33

2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PGK 2.83

$0.47 ฿15.44

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.10

$2.40 ฿78.6

26.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.07

$3.75 ฿123

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 PGK 8.13

$1.82 ฿59.8

3.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 PGK 6.27

$1.42 ฿46.65

2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 PGK 6.05

$1.55 ฿50.8

-9.68%

Eggs

$3.70 PGK 16.02

$2.13 ฿69.9

73.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 PGK 39.55

$19.76 ฿648

-53.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 PGK 22.12

$3.48 ฿114

46.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.12

$11.09 ฿364

-18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 PGK 18.54

$2.91 ฿95.5

47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 PGK 13.29

$1.66 ฿54.6

84.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.97 PGK 25.83

$2.27 ฿74.5

163.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.08

$2.10 ฿68.8

198.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PGK 15.07

$1.47 ฿48.24

136.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 PGK 11.02

$1.41 ฿46.29

80.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 PGK 9.04

$1.09 ฿35.78

91.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 PGK 5.26

$0.54 ฿17.58

125.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PGK 26.25

$4.48 ฿147

35.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 PGK 50.1

$18.72 ฿614

-38.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 PGK 11.66

$1.84 ฿60.4

46.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 PGK 15.38

$2.95 ฿96.7

20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 PGK 1.85

$2.26 ฿74.1

-80.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.59 PGK 97.8

$23.07 ฿757

-2.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 PGK 24.98

$3.04 ฿99.9

89.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.88

$1.09 ฿35.82

109.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.12 PGK 69.8

$3.82 ฿125

321.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 PGK 4.49

$1.49 ฿48.79

-30.20%

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

$21.5K PGK 92.9K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-21.77%

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

$17.5K PGK 75.9K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-36.28%

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

$121 PGK 522

$102 ฿3,340

18.43%

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

$23.13 PGK 100

$11.28 ฿370

105.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.6 PGK 405

$17.75 ฿582

427.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 PGK 269

$54.2 ฿1,777

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 PGK 99.5

$10.96 ฿360

109.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 PGK 38.18

$7.85 ฿258

12.36%

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

$860 PGK 3,723

$577 ฿18.9K

49.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,301 PGK 27.3K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-45.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.55 PGK 145

$65.4 ฿2,144

-48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 PGK 138

$28.89 ฿948

10.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 PGK 604

$99.1 ฿3,250

40.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 PGK 708

$90.3 ฿2,961

81.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 PGK 7,093

$756 ฿24.8K

116.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 PGK 2,490

$487 ฿16.0K

18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 PGK 12.1K

$2,085 ฿68.4K

33.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 PGK 4,917

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-5.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,108 PGK 9,126

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,763 PGK 16.3K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

44.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 PGK 1,918

$502 ฿16.5K

-11.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

5.57

118.49%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: August 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Port Moresby and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Port Moresby vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $272 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Phuket. 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: $1,639 in Port Moresby versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $860 in Port Moresby versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,555 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 23% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.