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 $2,365 per month in United Kingdom vs $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,470 per month in United Kingdom vs $992 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,575 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,301 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 247% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 78% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.08

$7.63 PGK 33.65

164.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £66.2

$48.86 PGK 215

81.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.73

$6.02 PGK 26.54

71.59%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.39

$2.43 PGK 10.72

86.42%

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

$2.38 £1.78

$0.91 PGK 4.02

161.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$0.80 PGK 3.55

112.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.95

$2.94 PGK 12.95

124.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.67

$4.67 PGK 20.58

33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.91 PGK 8.45

-14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.52 PGK 6.68

9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.45 PGK 6.38

53.10%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.98

$3.89 PGK 17.18

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.18

$6.31 PGK 27.81

52.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 £6.85

$6.61 PGK 29.14

38.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 £10.43

$8.84 PGK 38.98

57.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.20

$4.01 PGK 17.67

-26.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.74 PGK 12.08

-39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.14

$4.80 PGK 21.17

-40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.99 PGK 17.61

-13.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$3.42 PGK 15.07

-50.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.47 PGK 10.91

-34.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$3.03 PGK 13.34

-63.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.07 PGK 4.70

42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.41

$6.60 PGK 29.13

212.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 £7.93

$11.21 PGK 49.44

-5.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.15

$2.56 PGK 11.29

12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.45 PGK 15.20

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.42

$0.46 PGK 2.04

602.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 £69.8

$28.55 PGK 126

226.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.95

$5.41 PGK 23.87

-2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.14

$2.48 PGK 10.94

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.79 £20.04

$16.96 PGK 74.8

57.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.07 PGK 4.72

85.05%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$24.4K PGK 107.4K

55.54%

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

$40.6K £30.3K

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

29.30%

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

$325 £243

$102 PGK 452

217.48%

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

$17.63 £13.19

$48.82 PGK 215

-63.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 £31.55

$211 PGK 929

-79.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.36

$63.8 PGK 281

-28.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 £11.87

$12.19 PGK 53.8

30.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 £10.00

$9.67 PGK 42.64

38.16%

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

$1,736 £1,299

$443 PGK 1,954

291.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K £16.0K

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

414.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 £67.9

$35.58 PGK 157

155.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 £33.85

$35.79 PGK 158

26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.6

$67.4 PGK 297

51.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.2

$66.7 PGK 294

52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 £1,057

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

-54.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 £840

$479 PGK 2,113

134.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 £1,770

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,367

$727 PGK 3,206

151.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,662 £4,235

$2,075 PGK 9,154

172.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,424 £3,309

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

16.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,238 £2,422

$415 PGK 1,829

680.76%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $1,985 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,021 in London and $2,194 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $3,174 in United Kingdom vs $315 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 180% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1050% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 908% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 232% 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 232% 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.