Cost of living 2018 in Papua New Guinea

Hi Good Day!

I have been working in PNG at Morobe,  Lae for five years and hope this will help some future expats.

Most of the privileges are being provided by the company.. But I will enumerate the ones that I am paying for.

How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Papua New Guinea?  Company provided  standard rate is around 3000 Kina per month and above

How much does it cost to buy an apartment or a house in Papua New Guinea?  It depends on the location and the lot area.

How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?  - Company provided car

How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?
rice - 4.80 Kina, bread - 3.50 Kina, pasta

What is your monthly budget for groceries? 800 - 1000 kina

How much does it cost to see a doctor/dentist/physician/specialist in Papua New Guinea?  70 Kina at Lae Wellness

How much do you pay for health insurance per month?  Company provided

How much does childcare cost on average per month?  N/A

What is your child's schooling budget per month? N/A

How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank? Company provided

How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month? Company provided around approximately 500 kina per month

How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?
internet around 120 Kina per month - phone subscription is company provided

How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays? 10-15 kina

How much do you pay for an espresso coffee? approximately 4 kina at Morobe Bakery

How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?  N/A

How much does a gym membership cost in Papua New Guinea?  Company provided.


Hope this helps.

Hi Pinoyhenyo0316,

I have a job offer in Papua New Guinea just today. I have an offer of 3000 kina per month for 3 years contract. However, the Papindo employer sent me a separate email stating that I will be receiving only around 47,000 pesos after tax.  I want to ask how much is the tax in Papua New Guinea?

Thanks for reply.

How much is 47,000 pesos in Kina?  3,000 Kina is roughly US$1,000 which you can live on if you go modestly.  Food stuffs in the store are VERY expensive here.  I have no idea about the tax as I live off of a US retirement fund.

Hi Francis,

I got the same offer like yours. I'm still contemplating if I am going to push through this since cost of living in PNG is quite high (based on info in here)compare to SA.

What I only need to know from this forum is ... are food stuffs like meat, chicken, fish are also available in the grocery store?

Hi Francis,

Sorry for the late reply,

Tax in PNG depends on your salary bracket. Usually starts from 25% to 40%.

You can pretty much save some money in PNG because there is not much things that you can spend your money with. Unless of course you want to eat your lunch or dinner in hotels and restaurants.

It is a good if you buy groceries and cook your own food.

I usually spend around 150 kina per week for my groceries.