Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $3,182 in Sydney.

Port Moresby $1,532
Sydney $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,418 in Port Moresby versus $4,696 in Sydney.

Port Moresby $2,418
Sydney $4,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Port Moresby versus $6,210 in Sydney.

Port Moresby $3,305
Sydney $6,210

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 52% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 14% above, Sydney 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.99

$17.66 A$25.28

-56.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

$97.1 A$139

-54.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.59

$11.94 A$17.09

-54.94%

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

$4.00 A$5.72

-39.00%

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

$2.84 A$4.06

-72.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

$2.27 A$3.25

-70.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

$7.89 A$11.29

-63.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.60

$7.13 A$10.20

-50.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

$1.66 A$2.38

9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

$2.79 A$4.00

-44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

$2.32 A$3.33

-40.09%

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

$5.53 A$7.92

-34.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

$12.08 A$17.28

-28.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.56

$9.84 A$14.09

-43.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.47

$16.61 A$23.78

-40.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

$4.02 A$5.76

4.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

$3.15 A$4.51

-0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

$3.50 A$5.01

100.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

$4.47 A$6.39

46.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

$3.32 A$4.76

2.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

$2.30 A$3.30

26.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.21

$2.34 A$3.35

-0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

$1.15 A$1.65

12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

$45.02 A$64.4

-86.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.05

$13.96 A$19.97

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

$3.98 A$5.70

-36.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.39

$4.07 A$5.82

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

$3.16 A$4.52

-86.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

$150 A$215

-85.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

$3.45 A$4.94

57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$1.63 A$2.33

38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

$39.98 A$57.2

-61.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

$1.40 A$2.01

-32.86%

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

$28.4K A$40.7K

73.09%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

$29.4K A$42.1K

-41.33%

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

$117 PGK 513

$220 A$315

-46.74%

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

$27.70 A$39.64

-18.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 400

$55.5 A$79.5

64.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

$74.3 A$106

-18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

$23.95 A$34.28

-7.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

$17.73 A$25.37

-50.71%

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

$836 PGK 3,665

$2,157 A$3,087

-61.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-77.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

$78.4 A$112

-58.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

$70.5 A$101

-55.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

$111 A$159

21.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

$132 A$189

21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,912

$2,514 A$3,598

-37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

$1,732 A$2,478

-68.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

$4,889 A$6,996

-37.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,946

$3,039 A$4,349

-62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,918

$13.2K A$18.9K

-84.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

$8,117 A$11.6K

-53.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,882

$4,082 A$5,842

-89.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

5.84

108.39%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 214% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Sydney

$380 12% 18.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 31.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 8.8% $14

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 122% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 41.2% $32

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 332% $134

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Port Moresby and $2,514 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 851% 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 $97.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $380 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Sydney 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Sydney. 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 851% lower in Sydney. 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 $2,514 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Sydney. 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 $97.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Sydney. 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 Sydney 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 108% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.