Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vava'u and Port Moresby

74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Vava'u

🇹🇴 Tonga

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 PGK 33.98

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 PGK 192

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PGK 23.58

Cappuccino

$2.44 PGK 10.69

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

$0.77 PGK 3.38

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 PGK 2.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 PGK 12.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 PGK 15.59

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PGK 7.97

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.74

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 PGK 6.09

Eggs

$3.62 PGK 15.86

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 PGK 37.85

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 PGK 24.55

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 PGK 43.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PGK 18.45

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 PGK 13.67

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 PGK 30.72

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 PGK 28.75

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 PGK 14.92

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 PGK 12.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 PGK 10.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 PGK 5.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 PGK 27.45

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 PGK 47.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 PGK 11.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PGK 15.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 PGK 96.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.47 PGK 67.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PGK 4.13

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

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

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

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

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

$117 PGK 513

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

$22.67 PGK 99.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.2 PGK 399

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 PGK 264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.04 PGK 96.6

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PGK 38.31

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

$836 PGK 3,665

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.86 PGK 144

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 PGK 139

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 PGK 595

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 PGK 702

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 PGK 6,911

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 PGK 2,414

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 PGK 4,945

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 PGK 8,917

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 PGK 1,881

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

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

Last update for Vava'u: October 4, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$551 36.3%

Groceries & Markets

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$320 21.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$231 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$162 10.7%

Eating Out

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$135 8.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$78 5.1%

Getting Around

Vava'u

–

Port Moresby

$40 2.7%

Good to know

🇹🇴 Vava'u

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

3 h behind Vava'u

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

501

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to TOP – Tongan Paʻanga Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.66 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 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 = 0.204 EUR).

USD to TOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vava'u Port Moresby 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vava'u
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

Vava'u vs Port Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Vava'u is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Moresby, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vava'u 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.

It comes down to priorities – Vava'u wins on affordability, Port Moresby on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.