Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Moresby and Wanaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $1,666 in Wanaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wanaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index

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Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,666 in Wanaka.

Port Moresby $1,469
Wanaka $1,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,315 in Port Moresby versus $2,631 in Wanaka.

Port Moresby $2,315
Wanaka $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,161 in Port Moresby versus $3,596 in Wanaka.

Port Moresby $3,161
Wanaka $3,596

Living in Port Moresby costs roughly 12% less than in Wanaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Moresby 9% above, Wanaka 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.97

$14.13 NZ$24.98

-45.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 PGK 193

$56.3 NZ$99.6

-21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 PGK 24.55

$8.22 NZ$14.53

-31.75%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PGK 11.13

$3.00 NZ$5.31

-15.33%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$1.69 NZ$2.99

-56.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$1.93 NZ$3.42

-64.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 PGK 13.28

$6.53 NZ$11.56

-53.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 PGK 16.10

$6.16 NZ$10.90

-40.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PGK 8.02

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 PGK 6.55

$1.91 NZ$3.38

-21.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 PGK 5.97

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-22.29%

Eggs

$3.74 PGK 16.38

$5.93 NZ$10.49

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 PGK 39.08

$8.45 NZ$14.94

5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 PGK 21.64

$9.37 NZ$16.57

-47.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 PGK 41.82

$16.30 NZ$28.82

-41.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 PGK 19.31

$3.00 NZ$5.30

47.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 PGK 14.29

$2.11 NZ$3.73

54.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 PGK 31.87

$3.24 NZ$5.73

124.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 PGK 28.27

$4.92 NZ$8.70

31.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.49

$1.79 NZ$3.16

72.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 PGK 13.10

$1.81 NZ$3.21

65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 PGK 10.29

$2.24 NZ$3.97

4.91%

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

$21.98 NZ$38.87

-70.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 PGK 47.88

$9.05 NZ$16.00

20.88%

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

$1.24 NZ$2.20

184.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 PGK 21.51

$5.66 NZ$10.01

-13.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 PGK 64.4

$28.07 NZ$49.64

-47.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 PGK 4.38

$1.80 NZ$3.18

-44.44%

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

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

98.38%

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

7.24%

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

$20.84 PGK 91.2

$28.11 NZ$49.71

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 PGK 360

$52.3 NZ$92.4

57.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 PGK 38.51

$10.10 NZ$17.86

-12.87%

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

$563 PGK 2,465

$591 NZ$1,045

-4.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.46 PGK 155

$58.6 NZ$104

-39.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 PGK 149

$34.64 NZ$61.3

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 PGK 305

$68.3 NZ$121

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 PGK 422

$73.8 NZ$130

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 PGK 6,706

$970 NZ$1,716

57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 PGK 2,470

$793 NZ$1,403

-28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

$1,852 NZ$3,275

55.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 PGK 5,172

$1,595 NZ$2,821

-25.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 PGK 9,129

$5,611 NZ$9,923

-62.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,870

$4,296 NZ$7,597

-90.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

204.25%

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

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Moresby

$564 38.4%

Wanaka

$793 47.6% 40.5% $229

Groceries & Markets

Port Moresby

$320 21.8%

Wanaka

$318 19.1% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Moresby

$221 15%

Wanaka

$190 11.4% 13.9% $31

Eating Out

Port Moresby

$138 9.4%

Wanaka

$233 14% 69.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Port Moresby

$106 7.2%

Wanaka

$106 6.4% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Port Moresby

$79 5.4%

Wanaka

$20 * 1.2% 74.5% $59

Getting Around

Port Moresby

$41 2.8%

Wanaka

$5.7 * 0.3% 86.1% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,532 in Port Moresby and $970 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 906% 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 $56.0 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $318, with Wanaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

3 h ahead of Port Moresby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,145 Capital

11,600

💱 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 Wanaka 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Moresby
Wanaka

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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Wanaka. 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 906% lower in Wanaka. 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: $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $970 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Wanaka pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,469 per month in Port Moresby versus $1,666 in Wanaka – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,666 in Wanaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Wanaka. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Moresby delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,469 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Moresby hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Port Moresby and Wanaka 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 13% less than in Wanaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.