Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,532 in Port Moresby.

Suva $927
Port Moresby $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $2,418 in Port Moresby.

Suva $1,681
Port Moresby $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $3,305 in Port Moresby.

Suva $2,435
Port Moresby $3,305

Living in Suva costs roughly 40% less than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Port Moresby is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$7.76 PGK 33.98

-26.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$43.89 PGK 192

0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$5.38 PGK 23.58

44.24%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$2.44 PGK 10.69

19.26%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$0.77 PGK 3.38

94.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$0.67 PGK 2.95

8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$2.91 PGK 12.74

26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$3.56 PGK 15.59

21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.82 PGK 7.97

-29.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$1.54 PGK 6.74

-63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$1.39 PGK 6.09

-18.71%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$3.62 PGK 15.86

-6.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$8.64 PGK 37.85

16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$5.60 PGK 24.55

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$9.92 PGK 43.46

-21.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$4.21 PGK 18.45

-41.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$3.12 PGK 13.67

-22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$7.01 PGK 30.72

-50.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$6.56 PGK 28.75

-52.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$3.40 PGK 14.92

-64.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$2.92 PGK 12.79

-63.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$2.33 PGK 10.20

-47.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.29 PGK 5.64

-43.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$6.26 PGK 27.45

54.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$10.73 PGK 47.04

-31.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$2.54 PGK 11.11

-18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$3.51 PGK 15.38

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$0.42 PGK 1.86

123.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$21.95 PGK 96.2

1.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-83.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$15.47 PGK 67.8

-42.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$0.94 PGK 4.13

55.32%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

-50.39%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

48.47%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$117 PGK 513

-60.40%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$22.67 PGK 99.4

-43.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$91.2 PGK 399

-73.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$60.2 PGK 264

-38.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$22.04 PGK 96.6

-48.73%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$8.74 PGK 38.31

-60.76%

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

$228 FJD 509

$836 PGK 3,665

-72.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

114.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$32.86 PGK 144

1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$31.67 PGK 139

27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$136 PGK 595

-49.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$160 PGK 702

-61.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$1,577 PGK 6,911

-43.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$551 PGK 2,414

-40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$1,129 PGK 4,945

-11.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$2,035 PGK 8,917

-35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

-78.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$429 PGK 1,881

123.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

12.17

-36.73%

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

Last update for Suva: 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

Suva

$330 34.9%

Port Moresby

$551 36.3% 66.8% $221

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Port Moresby

$320 21.1% 40.2% $92

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Port Moresby

$135 8.9% 3.6% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Port Moresby

$162 10.7% 76.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Port Moresby

$231 15.2% 178% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Port Moresby

$78 5.1% 77.8% $34

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Port Moresby

$40 2.7% 38.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $1,577 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Suva vs $44.00 in Port Moresby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $320 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 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 FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Suva Port Moresby 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
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

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

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Port Moresby. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Suva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 124% higher in Suva, 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: $891 in Suva 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 40% higher in Port Moresby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

At $927 in Suva versus $1,532 in Port Moresby, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Port Moresby. The gap between the two cities makes Suva 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, Suva 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 Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Port Moresby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.