International School of Port Moresby
IBInternational
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inPort Moresby, Papua New Guinea
National Capital, Papua New Guinea284KCapitalLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: eGuide Travel
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 1.91x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Papua New Guinea: $4,456/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 52% 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.
Overall
2.1x further
Prices are 52% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
3.6x further
Prices are 72% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
1.7x further
Prices are 42% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
3.0x further
Prices are 67% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Lower Middle
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$4,456
PPP, International $
City Population
284K
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
2 confirmed schools
- IB1
- National1
Ela Murray International School
NationalInternational
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (Β© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
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
The concrete mobility picture for Port Moresby: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 32/100 (car leaning). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
32/100
mobility profile bus only
Airport
Port Moresby international airport access
The refreshed local city data-type matrix lists Port Moresby as a missing Papua New Guinea mobility/walkability row; add conservative first-city coverage through port moresby international airport access instead of leaving the country at zero direct family mobility coverage.
Urban transit
Road-led mobility with central errand access
busminibuswalking
Daily movement remains road-led, but buses, minibuses, taxis, and central errands provide a conservative non-car baseline until richer city-specific sources land.
Rideshare
Taxi-first mobility
Taxis or arranged rides are the dependable fallback for airport transfers and neighborhoods beyond fixed-route service.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
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.
26 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
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
Pharmacy: 10Clinic: 7Hospital: 5Dentist: 2Doctor: 1Laboratory: 1
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 Β· Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index19/100
Crime Index81/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability-0.66
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | β |
| Agriculture & Farming | β |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | β |
| Construction | β |
| Education | β |
| Finance & Insurance | β |
| Healthcare & Social Work | β |
| Hospitality & Food Service | β |
| Information & Technology | β |
| Manufacturing | β |
| Mining & Quarrying | β |
| Other Services | β |
| Professional & Scientific Services | β |
| Public Administration & Defence | β |
| Real Estate | β |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | β |
| Transport & Logistics | β |
| Utilities | β |
2024 annual wages in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Β· Source: GDP-derived estimate (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
budget hotel
$40.00Estimated10% more
luxury hotel
$250.00Estimated48% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
eta
US passport holders need advance travel authorization or a visa before entry.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Port Moresby compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.9x 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 β overall living costs are about 52% 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 72% 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 42% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 67% 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.
Tropical climate, hot and humid year-roundUnreliable internet, frequent outagesSmall but close-knit expat communityLow walkability, car-dependentLimited international food sceneMinimal nightlife outside expat venuesFew dedicated coworking spacesSafety concerns in outer areas
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