Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Port Moresby $1,532
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Port Moresby $2,418
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Port Moresby $3,305
Singapore $6,994

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 56% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 14% above, Singapore 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-32.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-38.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-38.58%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-53.52%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-57.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-65.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-64.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-37.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-48.71%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-59.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-41.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-61.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$3.11 SGD 3.99

0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$4.62 SGD 5.92

51.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$2.23 SGD 2.86

194.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$2.50 SGD 3.20

36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$2.38 SGD 3.05

22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

$1.78 SGD 2.28

30.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-14.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-55.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-54.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-23.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-73.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$96.4 SGD 123

-77.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$3.63 SGD 4.65

49.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$0.80 SGD 1.02

181.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-4.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-62.55%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-68.44%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-88.16%

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

$117 PGK 513

$175 SGD 224

-33.08%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$12.45 SGD 15.94

82.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

$26.64 SGD 34.11

242.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$112 SGD 143

-46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$12.07 SGD 15.46

82.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-24.66%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-42.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-77.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$81.5 SGD 104

-59.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$112 SGD 143

21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$130 SGD 166

23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-45.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-74.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-46.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-71.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-91.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-77.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-90.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

2.44

398.77%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 286% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 43% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 7.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 3.7% $5.9

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 89.8% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 73.4% $57

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 173% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 918% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $457 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

2 h behind Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, 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).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Singapore 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Moresby the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 918% lower in Singapore. 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 $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Moresby – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby 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.

Safety-wise, Port Moresby and Singapore 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.