Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,459 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,459

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Moresby and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,459 per month in Port Moresby vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Moresby $1,459
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,302 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Moresby $2,302
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,146 per month in Port Moresby vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Moresby $3,146
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Port Moresby costs about 21% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Moresby sits 8% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 PGK 33.96

$10.67 MX$200

-26.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.10 PGK 191

$43.80 MX$819

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PGK 24.39

$11.79 MX$220

-52.16%

Cappuccino

$2.46 PGK 10.62

$3.79 MX$70.8

-35.09%

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

$0.78 PGK 3.36

$1.30 MX$24.26

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 PGK 2.77

$0.83 MX$15.59

-22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PGK 12.69

$3.15 MX$58.9

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 PGK 15.66

$4.93 MX$92.3

-26.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 PGK 8.23

$1.41 MX$26.35

34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 PGK 6.51

$2.20 MX$41.07

-31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.13

$1.47 MX$27.54

-3.40%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.68

$2.50 MX$46.70

44.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 PGK 37.95

$7.29 MX$136

20.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 PGK 22.18

$7.95 MX$149

-35.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 PGK 42.87

$12.86 MX$241

-22.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 PGK 18.84

$2.90 MX$54.2

50.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 PGK 14.01

$1.38 MX$25.87

134.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 PGK 31.37

$2.49 MX$46.59

191.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 PGK 27.56

$2.03 MX$37.97

213.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 PGK 12.72

$2.02 MX$37.88

45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 PGK 12.29

$1.90 MX$35.60

49.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 PGK 9.83

$1.14 MX$21.41

99.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 PGK 5.80

$1.24 MX$23.17

8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 PGK 27.67

$4.27 MX$79.9

49.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 PGK 47.15

$9.81 MX$184

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 PGK 11.49

$1.59 MX$29.66

67.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 PGK 15.02

$2.75 MX$51.3

26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PGK 1.89

$0.51 MX$9.63

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.01 PGK 108

$27.39 MX$512

-8.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 PGK 21.26

$4.76 MX$89.1

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 PGK 6.34

$3.25 MX$60.8

-54.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 PGK 61.9

$5.39 MX$101

165.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 PGK 4.48

$1.53 MX$28.58

-32.03%

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

$50.2K PGK 217.2K

$21.2K MX$396.8K

136.78%

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

$17.5K PGK 75.9K

$23.3K MX$435.1K

-24.58%

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

$120 PGK 517

$83.5 MX$1,562

43.17%

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

$20.89 PGK 90.4

$23.19 MX$434

-9.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.4 PGK 361

$27.61 MX$516

202.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 PGK 264

$56.4 MX$1,056

8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.28 PGK 96.4

$28.19 MX$527

-20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 PGK 38.45

$5.00 MX$93.5

77.80%

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

$570 PGK 2,465

$207 MX$3,873

175.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,351 PGK 36.1K

$5,231 MX$97.8K

59.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.01 PGK 151

$43.45 MX$813

-19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 PGK 155

$42.54 MX$796

-15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 298

$72.8 MX$1,361

-5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 PGK 423

$88.4 MX$1,653

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 PGK 6,508

$995 MX$18.6K

51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 PGK 2,392

$382 MX$7,152

44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 PGK 12.4K

$1,674 MX$31.3K

70.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 PGK 5,045

$1,081 MX$20.2K

7.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,098 PGK 9,072

$3,909 MX$73.1K

-46.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,757 PGK 16.2K

$6,138 MX$114.8K

-38.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 PGK 1,860

$832 MX$15.6K

-48.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

11.45

6.29%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$553 37.9%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 30.9% $171

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 19.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$224 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 40% $90

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$137 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 46.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$107 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 4% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 15.8% $13

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$39 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 29.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Port Moresby versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. 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 94% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Port Moresby versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Port Moresby vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

08:00 8:00 AM

15 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.231 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.32 PGK (1 PGK = 0.231 USD). 1 EUR = 4.86 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Moresby Playa del Carmen 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Moresby is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,188 per month in Port Moresby and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,505 in Port Moresby.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,459 in Port Moresby and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $570 per month in Port Moresby and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.