Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,532 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore 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 Singapore and in Port Moresby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $1,532 in Port Moresby.

Singapore $3,454
Port Moresby $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $2,418 in Port Moresby.

Singapore $5,224
Port Moresby $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $3,305 in Port Moresby.

Singapore $6,994
Port Moresby $3,305

Living in Singapore is roughly 125% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 158% above, Port Moresby 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$7.76 PGK 33.98

48.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$43.89 PGK 192

62.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$5.38 PGK 23.58

62.83%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$2.44 PGK 10.69

115.16%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.77 PGK 3.38

137.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$0.67 PGK 2.95

86.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

$2.91 PGK 12.74

189.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$3.56 PGK 15.59

181.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.82 PGK 7.97

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.54 PGK 6.74

60.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$1.39 PGK 6.09

94.96%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$3.62 PGK 15.86

3.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.58

$8.64 PGK 37.85

149.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.20

$5.60 PGK 24.55

70.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.27

$9.92 PGK 43.46

161.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$4.21 PGK 18.45

6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$3.12 PGK 13.67

-0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$7.01 PGK 30.72

-34.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$6.56 PGK 28.75

-66.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$3.40 PGK 14.92

-26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.92 PGK 12.79

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.33 PGK 10.20

-23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$1.29 PGK 5.64

17.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.16

$6.26 PGK 27.45

126.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$10.73 PGK 47.04

121.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$2.54 PGK 11.11

77.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$3.51 PGK 15.38

30.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$0.42 PGK 1.86

276.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$21.95 PGK 96.2

338.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-33.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.72

$15.47 PGK 67.8

4.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$0.94 PGK 4.13

167.02%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

216.84%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

744.86%

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

$175 SGD 224

$117 PGK 513

49.44%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$22.67 PGK 99.4

-45.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

$91.2 PGK 399

-70.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$60.2 PGK 264

85.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

$22.04 PGK 96.6

-45.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$8.74 PGK 38.31

32.72%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$836 PGK 3,665

74.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

354.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$32.86 PGK 144

147.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$31.67 PGK 139

59.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$136 PGK 595

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$160 PGK 702

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$1,577 PGK 6,911

84.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,725

$551 PGK 2,414

286.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,241

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,081

$1,129 PGK 4,945

251.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$2,035 PGK 8,917

1059.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

348.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$429 PGK 1,881

917.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

12.17

-79.95%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Port Moresby

$551 36.3% 74.1% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Port Moresby

$320 21.1% 30.1% $138

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Port Moresby

$135 8.9% 47.3% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Port Moresby

$231 15.2% 7.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Port Moresby

$162 10.7% 3.5% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Port Moresby

$78 5.1% 42.3% $57

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Port Moresby

$40 2.7% 63.4% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Singapore and $1,577 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 918% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $320 per month, with Port Moresby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

13:02 1:02 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Between locations

Singapore Port Moresby 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Port Moresby

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

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

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Moresby the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 918% higher in Singapore, 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: $2,916 in Singapore versus $1,577 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Moresby – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,532 in Port Moresby versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Singapore. 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, Singapore 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.