Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Papua New Guinea

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,375 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Spain
Papua New Guinea
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
$1,375
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain 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 Spain and in Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Spain vs $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Spain $1,775
  • Papua New Guinea $1,375

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Spain vs $2,177 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Spain $2,606
  • Papua New Guinea $2,177

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Spain vs $2,979 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

  • Spain $3,438
  • Papua New Guinea $2,979

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($931–$2,610) than in Papua New Guinea ($817–$1,427), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Spain is about 29% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.96
$7.09 PGK 30.77
135.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €49.91
$44.44 PGK 193
25.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.18
$5.49 PGK 23.84
107.10%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.17
$2.29 PGK 9.97
5.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.40
$0.78 PGK 3.38
243.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$0.66 PGK 2.85
171.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.07
$2.59 PGK 11.24
32.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.47
$4.04 PGK 17.55
-3.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.86 PGK 8.07
-35.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.48 PGK 6.42
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.37 PGK 5.93
21.90%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.07
$3.72 PGK 16.14
-8.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 €12.70
$6.26 PGK 27.20
126.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 €7.46
$5.72 PGK 24.86
45.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.52
$8.88 PGK 38.57
82.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$4.00 PGK 17.37
-38.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.82
$3.33 PGK 14.47
-39.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$6.08 PGK 26.42
-65.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$5.24 PGK 22.74
-50.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$3.18 PGK 13.79
-42.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$2.73 PGK 11.86
-26.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.01 PGK 8.74
-34.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.18 PGK 5.12
-34.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36 €5.70
$6.33 PGK 27.47
0.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.06
$10.82 PGK 47.00
-47.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$2.43 PGK 10.55
-46.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$3.63 PGK 15.75
-42.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.42 PGK 1.84
290.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.91 €29.49
$26.21 PGK 114
25.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.97
$5.04 PGK 21.91
-12.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.16 PGK 9.39
-31.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.98 €22.39
$12.21 PGK 53.0
104.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.02 PGK 4.45
73.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.8K
$28.1K PGK 122.2K
26.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.4K
$22.2K PGK 96.5K
37.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €134
$94.0 PGK 408
58.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67 €15.84
$24.78 PGK 108
-28.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88 €28.57
$106 PGK 460
-69.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.64
$64.7 PGK 281
-31.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 €13.70
$23.49 PGK 102
-34.91%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66 €8.66
$8.85 PGK 38.45
9.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 €488
$503 PGK 2,186
8.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,504
$5,538 PGK 24.1K
91.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9 €76.1
$36.04 PGK 157
135.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11 €33.26
$33.40 PGK 145
11.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €79.9
$61.8 PGK 268
44.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.8
$85.3 PGK 370
24.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €947
$1,367 PGK 5,939
-22.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €724
$503 PGK 2,184
60.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 €1,453
$2,690 PGK 11.7K
-39.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,246 €1,117
$1,070 PGK 4,647
16.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,135 €3,706
$2,036 PGK 8,843
103.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,633 €2,359
$3,661 PGK 15.9K
-28.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Papua New Guinea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,999 €1,791
$415 PGK 1,803
381.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
13.67
-75.86%

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 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
Spain
$808
Papua New Guinea
$503 37.7% $305
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Papua New Guinea
$296 9.1% $25
Eating Out
Spain
$239
Papua New Guinea
$127 46.8% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199
Papua New Guinea
$225 13% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Papua New Guinea
$97 31.7% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64
Papua New Guinea
$82 29.6% $19
Getting Around
Spain
$51
Papua New Guinea
$44 14.6% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $920 in Spain vs $1,741 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,508 in Madrid and $1,451 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $1,972 in Spain vs $312 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 36% more in Spain.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are about 6.3 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
🕒 Local time
09:59 9:59 AM
18:59 6:59 PM
9 h ahead of Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
8,935,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.85 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Papua New Guinea 15,530 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • 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
Spain vs Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Papua New Guinea more expensive than Spain?
Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 23% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in Papua New Guinea?
Not necessarily. Overall, Spain costs about 29% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Spain. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
Should I move to Papua New Guinea or to Spain?
Papua New Guinea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

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