Cost of Living inPort Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Image credit: eGuide Travel
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Papua New Guinea: $4,289/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 53% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Port Moresby. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Port Moresby is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Papua New Guinea.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedLow out-of-pocket burden help, but coverage looks thinner and doctor staffing is lighter.
Public care
LimitedStrong public funding and relatively low patient cost-sharing help, but public coverage looks thinner and country-level outcomes are weaker.
Private care
LimitedA clearly private facility base help, but the tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
UHC coverage
32/100
2023
Physicians
0.06/1k
2023
Hospital beds
0.62/1k
2023
Out of pocket
9%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
66.3 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
189/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
20.1/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedA visible private hospital base help, but price transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Papua New Guinea yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea · Source: GDP-derived estimate (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders need advance travel authorization or a visa before entry.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Port Moresby compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.8x further in Port Moresby than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Papua New Guinea here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Port Moresby cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Port Moresby is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 53% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Port Moresby. We are using the country-level cost index for Papua New Guinea here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Port Moresby compare with New York City?
Rent in Port Moresby is about 71% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Papua New Guinea here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Port Moresby?
Groceries in Port Moresby are about 46% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 65% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Papua New Guinea here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Port Moresby
Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea, situated on the southern coast of the country on the Gulf of Papua. It functions as the political, administrative, and economic center of the nation, hosting the national parliament, the main international airport, and the headquarters of the major resource companies operating in PNG's LNG and mining sectors. English is one of three official languages alongside Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. The climate is tropical savanna, drier than the rest of PNG, with a clear dry season from May to October. For relocation, Port Moresby is heavily shaped by security considerations and a compound-and-driver expat lifestyle, with the resource sector and diplomatic posts driving most arrivals.
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