Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $1,469 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rolleston and in Port Moresby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Rolleston versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Rolleston $1,142
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,160 in Rolleston versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Rolleston $2,160
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,178 in Rolleston versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Rolleston $3,178
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Rolleston costs roughly 22% less than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rolleston is 15% below, Port Moresby is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.22 NZ$25.14

$7.76 PGK 33.97

83.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 NZ$120

$44.08 PGK 193

54.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 NZ$15.54

$5.61 PGK 24.55

56.68%

Cappuccino

$3.28 NZ$5.81

$2.54 PGK 11.13

29.13%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$0.74 PGK 3.23

187.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 NZ$3.12

$0.69 PGK 3.00

155.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 NZ$11.70

$3.03 PGK 13.28

118.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 NZ$10.93

$3.68 PGK 16.10

67.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.83 PGK 8.02

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NZ$3.19

$1.50 PGK 6.55

20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.66

$1.36 PGK 5.97

10.29%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$10.02

$3.74 PGK 16.38

51.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 NZ$12.53

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 NZ$16.58

$4.94 PGK 21.64

89.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 NZ$24.25

$9.55 PGK 41.82

43.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.55

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.11

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-29.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 NZ$9.01

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.57

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-51.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.05

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-55.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.39 NZ$41.36

$6.51 PGK 28.52

259.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 NZ$14.43

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-25.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

$2.70 PGK 11.83

23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.83

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$0.47 PGK 2.05

142.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 NZ$4.32

$4.91 PGK 21.51

-50.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 NZ$48.65

$14.72 PGK 64.4

86.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.00 PGK 4.38

74.00%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-51.16%

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

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

38.51%

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

$108 NZ$191

$118 PGK 516

-8.26%

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

$22.38 NZ$39.58

$20.84 PGK 91.2

7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.15 NZ$79.9

$82.2 PGK 360

-45.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NZ$17.82

$8.80 PGK 38.51

14.55%

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

$341 NZ$602

$563 PGK 2,465

-39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

8.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 NZ$102

$35.46 PGK 155

62.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NZ$62.3

$33.95 PGK 149

3.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 NZ$158

$69.7 PGK 305

28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$215

$96.3 PGK 422

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 NZ$491

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NZ$449

$564 PGK 2,470

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 NZ$1,813

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-64.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,914

$1,182 PGK 5,172

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 NZ$3,576

$2,085 PGK 9,129

-3.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 NZ$3,192

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

-52.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,358 NZ$7,707

$427 PGK 1,870

920.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

12.17

-51.44%

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

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rolleston

$300 26.3%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 6.7% $20

Accommodation & Living

Rolleston

$254 22.2%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 122% $311

Eating Out

Rolleston

$241 21.1%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 42.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rolleston

$176 15.4%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 25.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Rolleston

$137 12%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 22.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 294% $59

Getting Around

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 162% $25

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 $278 in Rolleston and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 920% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Rolleston vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $320, with Rolleston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

3 h behind Rolleston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,000

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

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Between locations

Rolleston Port Moresby 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Rolleston
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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

Rolleston vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Port Moresby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rolleston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 920% higher in Rolleston, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Rolleston versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,142 per month in Rolleston versus $1,469 in Port Moresby – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,142 in Rolleston versus $1,469 in Port Moresby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston 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, Rolleston and Port Moresby 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.