Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Timaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $1,980 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,980 in Timaru.

Port Moresby $1,469
Timaru $1,980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,315 in Port Moresby versus $2,925 in Timaru.

Port Moresby $2,315
Timaru $2,925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,161 in Port Moresby versus $3,870 in Timaru.

Port Moresby $3,161
Timaru $3,870

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 26% less than in Timaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 9% above, Timaru 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.97

$13.80 NZ$24.41

-43.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 PGK 193

$62.1 NZ$110

-28.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PGK 24.55

$10.70 NZ$18.93

-47.57%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PGK 11.13

$3.37 NZ$5.95

-24.63%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$2.03 NZ$3.59

-63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.81 NZ$3.20

-61.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.28

$5.72 NZ$10.11

-47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 PGK 16.10

$6.12 NZ$10.81

-39.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PGK 8.02

$1.11 NZ$1.96

64.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.55

$1.82 NZ$3.22

-17.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PGK 5.97

$1.09 NZ$1.93

24.77%

Eggs

$3.74 PGK 16.38

$5.69 NZ$10.06

-34.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 PGK 39.08

$8.24 NZ$14.57

8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PGK 21.64

$9.13 NZ$16.15

-45.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 PGK 41.82

$16.33 NZ$28.89

-41.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 PGK 19.31

$2.92 NZ$5.17

51.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 PGK 14.29

$2.33 NZ$4.12

40.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 PGK 31.87

$3.24 NZ$5.72

124.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 PGK 28.27

$5.19 NZ$9.18

24.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.49

$1.87 NZ$3.30

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 PGK 13.10

$1.78 NZ$3.14

67.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 PGK 10.29

$2.25 NZ$3.98

4.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PGK 5.82

$0.55 NZ$0.97

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$20.75 NZ$36.70

-68.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 PGK 47.88

$5.63 NZ$9.96

94.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 PGK 11.83

$3.07 NZ$5.42

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$1.18 NZ$2.09

199.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

$1.65 NZ$2.91

-71.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

$92.4 NZ$163

-75.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 PGK 21.51

$2.29 NZ$4.04

114.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

$2.08 NZ$3.68

8.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 PGK 64.4

$27.65 NZ$48.90

-46.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 PGK 4.38

$1.48 NZ$2.61

-32.43%

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

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

104.25%

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

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

-30.52%

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

$118 PGK 516

$110 NZ$194

7.34%

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

$20.84 PGK 91.2

$22.70 NZ$40.15

-8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 PGK 360

$51.4 NZ$90.9

59.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

$38.87 NZ$68.7

58.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 PGK 38.51

$10.17 NZ$17.98

-13.47%

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

$563 PGK 2,465

$579 NZ$1,025

-2.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

-63.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.46 PGK 155

$59.1 NZ$105

-40.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 PGK 149

$34.65 NZ$61.3

-2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 PGK 305

$91.0 NZ$161

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 PGK 422

$132 NZ$234

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

$877 NZ$1,550

74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

$946 NZ$1,674

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

$1,616 NZ$2,857

77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

$1,510 NZ$2,670

-21.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

$4,303 NZ$7,610

-51.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

$3,018 NZ$5,337

25.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,870

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

7.07

72.14%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Last update for Timaru: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

Timaru

$946 47.8% 67.7% $382

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.8%

Timaru

$297 15% 7.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$221 15%

Timaru

$184 9.3% 16.7% $37

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$138 9.4%

Timaru

$239 12.1% 73.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.2%

Timaru

$143 7.2% 34.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Timaru

$59 3% 25.4% $20

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$41 2.8%

Timaru

$112 5.6% 174% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,532 in Port Moresby and $877 in Timaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Moresby vs $62.0 in Timaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $297, with Timaru cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Timaru

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

28,600

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Moresby Timaru 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Timaru

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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Timaru. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Moresby the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,203 in Port Moresby and $2,970 in Timaru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $877 in Timaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Timaru pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Moresby – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $62.0 in Timaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,980 in Timaru, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Timaru. 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 Timaru 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 35% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.