Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

For one person, living is cheaper in Samoa: $856 a month against $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Papua New Guinea outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea Living Index

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🇼🇸 Samoa

$856

/mo nomad

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samoa and in Papua New Guinea

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

A single person spends $856 per month in Samoa vs $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Samoa $856
Papua New Guinea $1,375

A couple spends around $2,308 per month in Samoa vs $2,177 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Samoa $2,308
Papua New Guinea $2,177

A family of three spends $3,760 per month in Samoa vs $2,979 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Samoa $3,760
Papua New Guinea $2,979

The regional cost range is wider in Papua New Guinea ($817–$1,427) than in Samoa ($853–$853), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Samoa is roughly 38% lower than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.80 WST 133

$7.09 PGK 30.79

574.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 WST 101

$44.44 PGK 193

-18.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.39 WST 39.92

$5.49 PGK 23.85

162.11%

Cappuccino

$2.94 WST 8.16

$2.29 PGK 9.97

28.38%

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

$1.81 WST 5.01

$0.78 PGK 3.38

132.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 WST 3.72

$0.66 PGK 2.85

103.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 WST 9.62

$2.59 PGK 11.25

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 WST 10.06

$4.04 PGK 17.56

-10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$1.86 PGK 8.08

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 WST 2.35

$1.48 PGK 6.42

-42.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.96

$1.37 PGK 5.93

30.66%

Eggs

$4.32 WST 11.99

$3.72 PGK 16.15

16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.87 WST 2.40

$6.26 PGK 27.21

-86.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 WST 9.84

$5.72 PGK 24.87

-37.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.53 WST 23.67

$8.88 PGK 38.58

-3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 WST 14.41

$4.00 PGK 17.37

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 WST 4.93

$3.33 PGK 14.48

-46.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.98

$6.08 PGK 26.44

-70.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 WST 12.00

$5.24 PGK 22.75

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 WST 10.03

$3.18 PGK 13.80

13.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 WST 2.99

$2.73 PGK 11.87

-60.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 PGK 8.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 WST 3.24

$1.18 PGK 5.12

-0.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 WST 16.73

$6.33 PGK 27.48

-4.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.49 WST 45.75

$10.82 PGK 47.02

52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 WST 5.01

$2.43 PGK 10.56

-25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 WST 10.25

$3.63 PGK 15.76

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 WST 9.93

$0.42 PGK 1.85

752.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 PGK 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 WST 15.00

$5.04 PGK 21.92

7.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.33 WST 14.79

$2.16 PGK 9.40

146.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 WST 61.6

$12.21 PGK 53.1

81.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 WST 2.99

$1.02 PGK 4.45

5.88%

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

$28.1K PGK 122.3K

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

$22.2K PGK 96.6K

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

$18.44 WST 51.2

$94.0 PGK 408

-80.38%

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

$17.90 WST 49.65

$24.78 PGK 108

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.84 WST 99.4

$106 PGK 460

-66.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 PGK 281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 PGK 102

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 PGK 38.47

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

$503 PGK 2,187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 PGK 24.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.04 PGK 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 PGK 145

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 PGK 268

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 PGK 371

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 PGK 5,942

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 PGK 2,185

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,690 PGK 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 WST 4,933

$1,070 PGK 4,649

66.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 PGK 8,847

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,661 PGK 15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,803

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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

Last update for Samoa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$503 36.6%

Groceries & Markets

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$296 21.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.3%

Eating Out

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$97 7.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$82 6%

Getting Around

Samoa

–

Papua New Guinea

$44 3.2%

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 17% more in Papua New Guinea.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Samoa

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

22:45 10:45 PM

3 h behind Samoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,010

8,935,000

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.361 USD

1 WST = 0.323 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.77 WST (1 WST = 0.361 USD). 1 EUR = 3.1 WST (1 WST = 0.323 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.35 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.85 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samoa Papua New Guinea 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Samoa
Papua New Guinea

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

Samoa vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samoa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 38% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Papua New Guinea costs about 61% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Papua New Guinea. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Samoa, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Samoa is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.