Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Moresby and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Port Moresby $1,532
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Port Moresby $2,418
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Port Moresby $3,305
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Port Moresby is roughly 23% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Moresby is 14% above, Shanghai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

$4.55 ¥30.45

70.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$29.52 ¥198

48.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$5.10 ¥34.13

5.49%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$3.42 ¥22.92

-28.65%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$0.61 ¥4.12

26.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$0.36 ¥2.41

86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$1.21 ¥8.08

140.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

$2.29 ¥15.33

55.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.86 ¥12.48

-2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$2.01 ¥13.47

-23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$1.02 ¥6.84

36.27%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$1.72 ¥11.48

110.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$17.19 ¥115

-49.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

$3.35 ¥22.43

67.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

$12.80 ¥85.7

-22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$2.17 ¥14.54

94.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$1.74 ¥11.67

79.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$1.94 ¥12.99

261.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$1.68 ¥11.25

290.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$0.77 ¥5.18

341.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$0.93 ¥6.22

213.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

$0.62 ¥4.17

275.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$0.58 ¥3.88

122.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$3.83 ¥25.64

63.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

$10.94 ¥73.2

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$0.84 ¥5.60

202.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

$1.60 ¥10.73

119.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$0.59 ¥3.92

-28.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$30.27 ¥203

-27.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$2.06 ¥13.79

163.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$0.47 ¥3.13

378.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$8.80 ¥58.9

75.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.27 ¥8.53

-25.98%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

151.04%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$18.6K ¥124.4K

-7.13%

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

$117 PGK 513

$57.2 ¥383

104.65%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$8.06 ¥53.9

181.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

$10.52 ¥70.4

766.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$64.6 ¥433

-6.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$17.63 ¥118

25.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$8.84 ¥59.1

-1.13%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$1,437 ¥9,620

-41.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-77.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$54.7 ¥366

-39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$36.43 ¥244

-13.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$75.4 ¥504

80.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$104 ¥696

54.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

$1,039 ¥6,956

51.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$589 ¥3,940

-6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$2,487 ¥16.6K

22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

$1,237 ¥8,282

-8.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-85.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-39.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-74.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

3.36

262.20%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 6.8% $38

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Shanghai

$237 19% 26% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 67.2% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 24.9% $40

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 20.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 5.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Shanghai

$37 3% 8.3% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 300% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

2 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Shanghai 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Port Moresby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 300% lower in Shanghai. 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: $1,577 in Port Moresby versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $44.00 in Port Moresby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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.

Expats usually find Shanghai 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.