Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,000 per month in Samoa vs $695 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,533 per month in Samoa vs $1,001 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,066 per month in Samoa vs $1,306 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Samoa costs about 44% more than Papua New Guinea on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Samoa and Papua New Guinea are more affordable than the global median – Samoa 25% lower, Papua New Guinea 48% lower.

Samoa has a wider regional cost range ($1,000–$1,000) than Papua New Guinea ($0–$1,732), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Samoa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$53.8 WST 145

$7.95 PGK 34.99

576.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 WST 95.2

$47.31 PGK 208

-25.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 WST 36.78

$5.88 PGK 25.87

131.63%

Cappuccino

$2.43 WST 6.57

$2.35 PGK 10.33

3.40%

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

$2.07 WST 5.59

$0.85 PGK 3.74

143.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 WST 3.54

$0.79 PGK 3.47

65.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 WST 11.30

$2.93 PGK 12.89

42.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 WST 9.62

$4.67 PGK 20.56

-23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 WST 4.76

$2.01 PGK 8.82

-12.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 WST 2.20

$1.53 PGK 6.72

-46.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 WST 4.92

$1.47 PGK 6.49

23.81%

Eggs

$4.31 WST 11.64

$3.86 PGK 16.96

11.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.86 WST 2.32

$6.30 PGK 27.74

-86.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 WST 9.52

$6.36 PGK 27.99

-44.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 WST 21.58

$9.22 PGK 40.56

-13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 WST 13.15

$4.06 PGK 17.85

19.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 WST 4.77

$2.81 PGK 12.36

-37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 WST 4.74

$4.69 PGK 20.64

-62.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 WST 11.45

$3.95 PGK 17.36

7.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 WST 9.46

$3.29 PGK 14.46

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 WST 2.82

$2.51 PGK 11.06

-58.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 PGK 12.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 WST 3.10

$1.06 PGK 4.66

8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 WST 16.15

$6.61 PGK 29.10

-9.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.22 WST 43.78

$11.20 PGK 49.28

44.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 WST 4.92

$2.64 PGK 11.64

-31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 WST 9.54

$3.50 PGK 15.42

0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 WST 9.42

$0.46 PGK 2.03

658.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 WST 14.15

$5.27 PGK 23.18

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 PGK 10.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.25 WST 57.4

$16.87 PGK 74.2

25.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 WST 2.83

$1.11 PGK 4.89

-5.41%

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

$23.6K PGK 103.8K

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

$31.0K PGK 136.3K

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

$18.17 WST 49.07

$102 PGK 450

-82.25%

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

$18.10 WST 48.87

$49.38 PGK 217

-63.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 WST 95.4

$215 PGK 947

-83.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 PGK 54.8

Cinema Ticket

$9.72 PGK 42.78

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

$435 PGK 1,915

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 WST 135

$34.64 PGK 152

44.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 WST 109

$35.11 PGK 154

14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 WST 199

$68.8 PGK 303

7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 WST 273

$67.0 PGK 295

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 WST 933

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

-88.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 WST 398

$487 PGK 2,143

-69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 WST 1,907

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

-78.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 WST 3,120

$709 PGK 3,118

63.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$399 PGK 1,755

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for Samoa: April 20, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $0 in Samoa vs $1,993 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $0 in Apia and $2,146 in Port Moresby.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 20% more in Samoa.

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 15% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Samoa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Samoa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 15% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Samoa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.