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

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,642 per month in United States vs $687 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,857 per month in United States vs $987 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,072 per month in United States vs $1,287 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in United States is about 285% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United States sits 98% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$7.79 PGK 34.27

151.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$47.76 PGK 210

57.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$5.87 PGK 25.82

97.10%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$2.32 PGK 10.23

125.00%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.84 PGK 3.69

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.73 PGK 3.22

182.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.85 PGK 12.55

107.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.66 PGK 20.51

53.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.94 PGK 8.54

-43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.54 PGK 6.78

131.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.51 PGK 6.62

213.91%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$3.88 PGK 17.06

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$6.26 PGK 27.53

102.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$6.44 PGK 28.34

90.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$9.18 PGK 40.39

80.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.06 PGK 17.88

27.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.74 PGK 12.07

-37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.75 PGK 20.91

-6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.83 PGK 16.85

25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.31 PGK 14.58

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.53 PGK 11.13

22.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.99 PGK 13.15

-25.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.05 PGK 4.63

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$6.35 PGK 27.96

55.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$11.06 PGK 48.65

38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.60 PGK 11.44

-26.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.45 PGK 15.20

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.50 PGK 2.19

392.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$28.57 PGK 126

126.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$5.48 PGK 24.13

-31.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.43 PGK 10.69

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$16.47 PGK 72.5

82.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.08 PGK 4.76

-11.11%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

25.92%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

-17.48%

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

$210 $210

$101 PGK 445

107.73%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$48.55 PGK 214

15.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$209 PGK 919

-65.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$63.4 PGK 279

-28.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$12.39 PGK 54.5

74.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$9.39 PGK 41.30

49.52%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$439 PGK 1,931

213.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

446.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$34.78 PGK 153

51.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$36.12 PGK 159

17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$67.2 PGK 296

36.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$65.3 PGK 287

74.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

-43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$480 PGK 2,110

204.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

-10.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$712 PGK 3,132

232.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$2,131 PGK 9,377

57.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

-31.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$432 PGK 1,899

914.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

12.75

-48.94%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,635 in United States vs $1,962 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,625 in Washington, MI and $2,203 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $4,500 in United States 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 20% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 143% more in United States.

Public transport is 213% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1311% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 283% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 283% 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 States 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.