Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wanaka and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Moresby: $1,469 a month against $1,666 in Wanaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wanaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,666

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in Wanaka versus $1,469 in Port Moresby.

Wanaka $1,666
Port Moresby $1,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Wanaka versus $2,315 in Port Moresby.

Wanaka $2,631
Port Moresby $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,596 in Wanaka versus $3,161 in Port Moresby.

Wanaka $3,596
Port Moresby $3,161

Living in Wanaka is roughly 13% more expensive than in Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wanaka 23% above, Port Moresby 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 NZ$24.98

$7.76 PGK 33.97

82.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$99.6

$44.08 PGK 193

27.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 NZ$14.53

$5.61 PGK 24.55

46.52%

Cappuccino

$3.00 NZ$5.31

$2.54 PGK 11.13

18.11%

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

$1.69 NZ$2.99

$0.74 PGK 3.23

128.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$0.69 PGK 3.00

179.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 NZ$11.56

$3.03 PGK 13.28

115.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.90

$3.68 PGK 16.10

67.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.83 PGK 8.02

16.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$1.50 PGK 6.55

27.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.36 PGK 5.97

28.68%

Eggs

$5.93 NZ$10.49

$3.74 PGK 16.38

58.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$8.93 PGK 39.08

-5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.57

$4.94 PGK 21.64

89.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 NZ$28.82

$9.55 PGK 41.82

70.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.30

$4.41 PGK 19.31

-31.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$3.27 PGK 14.29

-35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.73

$7.28 PGK 31.87

-55.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NZ$8.70

$6.46 PGK 28.27

-23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$3.08 PGK 13.49

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$2.99 PGK 13.10

-39.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 NZ$3.97

$2.35 PGK 10.29

-4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$1.33 PGK 5.82

-58.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.98 NZ$38.87

$6.51 PGK 28.52

237.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$10.94 PGK 47.88

-17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$2.70 PGK 11.83

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-64.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 PGK 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NZ$10.01

$4.91 PGK 21.51

15.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 PGK 9.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.07 NZ$49.64

$14.72 PGK 64.4

90.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.00 PGK 4.38

80.00%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$50.7K PGK 222.2K

-49.59%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$17.3K PGK 75.9K

43.92%

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

$110 NZ$194

$118 PGK 516

-6.75%

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

$28.11 NZ$49.71

$20.84 PGK 91.2

34.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$92.4

$82.2 PGK 360

-36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 PGK 270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.19 PGK 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NZ$17.86

$8.80 PGK 38.51

14.77%

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

$591 NZ$1,045

$563 PGK 2,465

4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 PGK 27.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 NZ$104

$35.46 PGK 155

65.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$33.95 PGK 149

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 NZ$121

$69.7 PGK 305

-1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 NZ$130

$96.3 PGK 422

-23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 NZ$1,716

$1,532 PGK 6,706

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 NZ$1,403

$564 PGK 2,470

40.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 NZ$3,275

$2,874 PGK 12.6K

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$1,182 PGK 5,172

34.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,611 NZ$9,923

$2,085 PGK 9,129

169.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,782 PGK 16.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 NZ$7,597

$427 PGK 1,870

905.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

-67.13%

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

Last update for Wanaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wanaka

$793 47.6%

Port Moresby

$564 38.4% 28.8% $229

Groceries & Markets

Wanaka

$318 19.1%

Port Moresby

$320 21.8% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Wanaka

$233 14%

Port Moresby

$138 9.4% 41% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wanaka

$190 11.4%

Port Moresby

$221 15% 16.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Wanaka

$106 6.4%

Port Moresby

$106 7.2% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Wanaka

$20 * 1.2%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 293% $59

Getting Around

Wanaka

$5.7 * 0.3%

Port Moresby

$41 2.8% 621% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Wanaka and $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 906% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Wanaka vs $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $320, with Wanaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

3 h behind Wanaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,600

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wanaka Port Moresby 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Wanaka
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

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

Port Moresby wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Wanaka. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Moresby the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 906% higher in Wanaka, 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: $970 in Wanaka versus $1,532 in Port Moresby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Wanaka pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,666 per month in Wanaka versus $1,469 in Port Moresby – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,469 in Port Moresby versus $1,666 in Wanaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Moresby but tight or insufficient in Wanaka. The gap between the two cities makes Port Moresby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Moresby delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,469 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Moresby hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wanaka 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 Port Moresby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Wanaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.