Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $690 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $985 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,584 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,280 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 242% more than Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 76% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 £15.00

$7.87 PGK 33.79

156.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £64.6

$47.39 PGK 204

83.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.67

$5.97 PGK 25.65

72.70%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.47

$2.31 PGK 9.94

102.16%

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

$2.45 £1.82

$0.87 PGK 3.72

181.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.30

$0.75 PGK 3.23

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.92

$2.81 PGK 12.05

135.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 £4.70

$4.48 PGK 19.26

40.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.91 PGK 8.19

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.58 PGK 6.78

8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.46 PGK 6.28

56.85%

Eggs

$4.14 £3.08

$3.89 PGK 16.70

6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 £7.41

$6.22 PGK 26.72

60.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.60

$6.53 PGK 28.06

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.52

$8.97 PGK 38.52

57.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$4.02 PGK 17.28

-26.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.82 PGK 12.12

-40.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$4.81 PGK 20.66

-40.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$3.94 PGK 16.94

-13.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$3.44 PGK 14.80

-51.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$2.49 PGK 10.71

-38.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$2.89 PGK 12.43

-59.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.06 PGK 4.54

42.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.73 £15.41

$6.34 PGK 27.23

226.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.07

$11.09 PGK 47.64

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.10

$2.53 PGK 10.89

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.46

$3.50 PGK 15.02

-5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 £2.37

$0.50 PGK 2.13

538.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.5

$28.53 PGK 123

232.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.06

$5.43 PGK 23.31

0.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.50 PGK 10.72

-38.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.66 £19.83

$16.97 PGK 72.9

57.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.12 PGK 4.83

70.54%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$23.8K PGK 102.2K

60.36%

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

$41.1K £30.5K

$31.5K PGK 135.2K

30.54%

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

$327 £243

$101 PGK 434

223.54%

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

$17.50 £13.01

$49.27 PGK 212

-64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 £31.41

$212 PGK 912

-80.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.15

$62.8 PGK 270

-26.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 £11.82

$12.50 PGK 53.7

27.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 £10.01

$9.53 PGK 40.93

41.24%

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

$1,735 £1,290

$445 PGK 1,913

289.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K £15.4K

$4,038 PGK 17.3K

413.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.5

$35.92 PGK 154

149.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 £33.19

$35.10 PGK 151

27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.1

$68.7 PGK 295

50.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.7

$66.5 PGK 286

53.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 £1,055

$3,052 PGK 13.1K

-53.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 £847

$475 PGK 2,043

139.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 £1,720

$3,132 PGK 13.5K

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 £1,366

$725 PGK 3,116

153.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,858 £4,355

$2,082 PGK 8,943

181.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,550 £3,383

$3,827 PGK 16.4K

18.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 £2,402

$423 PGK 1,817

663.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

12.75

-54.90%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $1,944 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,031 in London and $2,149 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $319 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 180% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1063% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 901% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom stronger purchasing power.

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

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 225% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 225% 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 United Kingdom 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.