Digital Nomad Port Moresby Guide

There is absolutely zero digital nomad Port Moresby scene. The answers for this are myriad, but are principally related to cost, safety and there not being all that much to do here.

There is though a decent expat scene. It makes a great, well, only, base for exploring Papua New Guinea and, well, sometimes you get stuck here.

The good news though is that danger can be mitigated and there are at least a few hidden gems to hang out at.

What the Port Moresby?

Port Moresby, usually known simply as POM, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea and sits on the Gulf of Papua. It is the country’s political, economic and transport centre, with Parliament, government departments and Jacksons International Airport all located here.

The city was named after British Admiral Fairfax Moresby and developed as a colonial settlement before becoming the capital of independent Papua New Guinea in 1975. Today it is a sprawling tropical city with a population of roughly 300,000 to 400,000, depending on how you count the wider urban area. This is the first thing most people see in PNG, which is a real shame….

Click to read about being a nomad in Pyongyang.

Is Port Moresby Safe?

Is Port Moresby safe? No, Port Moresby is not safe at all. This is proven by stats, stats which are skewed because the police don’t even register most crimes, and by my own experience. I have had a phone taken from me while I was quite literally in the back of a bus, but this was minor compared to when I was robbed at knifepoint next to the Holiday Inn. And these are nothing compared to the stories I have heard from locals, with the sexual violence rate being among the highest in the world.

This though can be mitigated massively. Basically, you don’t walk anywhere, save a few spots like the beach, or your hotel grounds. Only use taxi drivers that you know, or are suggested or booked by your hotel. And on some occasions, and where necessary, you may even need security. The big problem here is that PNG people are super friendly, while towns like Vanimo, or even the whole of Bougainville, are completely safe. This gives a false sense of security that can get people into trouble.

The good thing though, and what I will cover later, is that there are lots of very big, safe complexes, predominantly hotels, which give you all the creature comforts.

Cost of Living in Port Moresby Guide

Partly because this city is so dangerous, it is also incredibly expensive. This is for both “living” and staying in hotels. If you end up living here though, it will probably be paid by your employer, who is probably involved in mining.

Hotels can be as cheap as $80, but they are BAD. For $30 to $50 extra, you can look at the Lamana, Holiday Inn, or Hilton, for example. It is worth the extra cost believe me. Again this is not a safe, border backpacker city.

Apartment Rental Prices in Port Moresby

One bedroom apartment in the city centre: around K7,200 / $1,600 per month
One bedroom apartment outside the city centre: around K2,500 / $555 per month
Three bedroom apartment in the city centre: around K12,200 / $2,700 per month
Three bedroom apartment outside the city centre: around K5,100 / $1,130 per month

Rental prices vary massively depending on the area, security, quality and whether the apartment is furnished. The big thing to remember is that a cheap apartment in POM is not necessarily a bargain. Security is something you really need to consider when choosing where to live.

Utilities and Internet in Port Moresby

Basic utilities for an 85 square metre apartment: around K530 / $118 per month
Internet: around K410 / $90 per month
Mobile phone plan: around K100 / $22 per month
Gym membership: around K275 / $61 per month

Food and Going Out in Port Moresby

Cheap restaurant meal: around K35 / $8
Meal for two at a mid range restaurant: around K200 / $45
Domestic beer: around K14 / $3
Imported beer: around K16 / $4
Cappuccino: around K11 / $2.50
Bottle of wine: around K52 / $12
Taxi starting fare: around K25 / $6
Taxi per kilometre: around K10 / $2

Total Monthly Cost of Living

For a single person renting a one bedroom apartment outside the city centre, I would budget around K6,000 to K8,000 / $1,330 to $1,780 per month for a relatively normal lifestyle.

If you want a decent one bedroom apartment in the city centre, eat out regularly, drink, use taxis and generally live the expat lifestyle, I would budget around K9,000 to K12,000 / $2,000 to $2,670 per month.

That is the important thing with POM. You can technically live here for less, but if you are a foreigner or digital nomad, that is probably not the lifestyle you are looking for and it will be bloody dangerous.

And then there is hotel living….

Lamana Hotel

Around $110 to $150 per night. Probably the best combination of price, location, restaurants and nightlife.

Holiday Inn Port Moresby

Around $160 to $220 per night. A reliable expat and business hotel with plenty of facilities.

Ela Beach Hotel

Around $140 to $200 per night. A decent option if you want to be near the beach.

Hilton Port Moresby Hotel & Residences

Around $150 to $220 per night. Modern, secure and my favorite place to misbehave in the city!

The Stanley Hotel & Suites

Around $155 to $200 per night. One of the better hotels in town, with a pool, restaurants and plenty of business travellers.

So, yeah, not exactly a cheap place to live, or nomad. Buying property here is also expensive and nigh on impossible for foreigners – but we will give you an idea anyway!

Property Prices in Port Moresby

Apartment purchase price in the city centre: around K9,200 per square metre / $2,050 per square metre
Apartment purchase price outside the city centre: around K17,000 per square metre / $3,780 per square metre
A 100 square metre apartment in the city centre: around K920,000 / $205,000
A 100 square metre apartment outside the city centre: around K1.7 million / $378,000

What to do in Port Moresby?

The best thing to do in Port Moresby is get out of Port Moresby to the beauty that is the rest of the country. Other than that, there’s a few decent tourist attractions.

Port Moresby Nature Park

This is probably the number one tourist attraction in POM and one of the few places where you can comfortably wander around for a few hours. It has native wildlife, birds of paradise, cassowaries, tree kangaroos, orchids and a decent amount of tropical greenery.

Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery

Located next to Parliament House, this is the place to get an introduction to the country without having to travel all over PNG. Often closes for no good reason.

Parliament House

Parliament House is one of the most recognisable buildings in POM and was opened in 1984. Technically you can’t go inside unless you know someone. I know someone.

Varirata National Park

About 23 kilometres outside Port Moresby, Varirata National Park is a completely different proposition from the city. It was PNG’s first national park and has viewpoints over the surrounding countryside, forest and coastline, along with plenty of birdlife.

Loloata Island

Loloata is basically the getaway from the getaway. It is only around 20 to 30 minutes by boat from Port Moresby and offers beaches, snorkelling, diving, kayaking and a resort. If you spend too much times in POM, this place is like heaven.

Nightlife of Port Moresby

Eating, drinking and partying in Port Moresby is done at a handful of bars and restaurants, mostly located in hotels, or, well, the Yacht Club.

Royal Papua Yacht Club

The Royal Papua Yacht Club is probably the social centre of the POM expat world. It has several bars and restaurants overlooking the marina. It is the sort of place where you will inevitably end up drinking with somebody who has lived in PNG for twenty years and has some absolutely insane story to tell.

Duffy Cafe Harbourside

Duffy is probably the closest thing POM has to a proper cafe culture. The Harbourside branch is good for coffee, breakfast, lunch and generally pretending you are somewhere considerably more developed.

The Italian

Located at Lamana, The Italian is one of the better places in POM for pizza and pasta. It is exactly the sort of restaurant you want after several weeks of travelling around PNG and eating whatever happens to be available.

Spices Restaurant

Also at Lamana, Spices does Indian food and is a decent alternative when you fancy something with actual flavour. It is also a useful option for expats who have been in PNG long enough to start craving curry.

Aviat is one of the more local feeling places to eat and drink. It is a sporting club with a relaxed atmosphere and is known as one of the established social clubs in POM.

Silver Leaf Restaurant

Located at The Stanley, Silver Leaf is one of the more upmarket dinner options in town. It is another good choice if you want somewhere secure and comfortable rather than trying to wander around looking for a random restaurant.

Tandoor on the Harbour

Tandoor on the Harbour is one of the better Indian options in POM and is located around the Harbourside area. If you have been eating fairly basic food while travelling around PNG, Indian food can suddenly become very important.

Hosi Ramen

Located at Vision City Mega Mall, Hosi Ramen gives you something a little different from the usual hotel and expat restaurant circuit. It does ramen and hotpot and is a relatively affordable option by POM standards.

The Lamana Hotel Club

This is the most banging place to be at the weekend and yeah I know its third listing for Lamana, but it is what it is. Comes alive to such a degree that it really is standing room only. And not all that dangerous, which is nice.

Getting in and out of Port Moresby

One of the least connected cities in the world. There are no roads to Port Moresby and everything, even domestically, is done by flight. Jacksons International Airport is the main international gateway into Papua New Guinea and, as of August 2026, has nonstop flights to 29 destinations in nine countries.

Brisbane

Brisbane is the main international gateway to Australia and has the most frequent international connection from POM. There are around 66 scheduled flights per month. Expect roughly K900 to K2,000 / $200 to $445 one way depending on the airline and date.

Cairns

Cairns is another important Australian connection and is particularly useful for getting to and from Far North Queensland. There are around 45 flights per month. Expect roughly K750 to K1,500 / $165 to $335 one way.

Sydney

Sydney has around 22 scheduled flights per month, operated by Air Niugini and Qantas. Expect roughly K1,000 to K2,000 / $220 to $445 one way depending on the date.

Manila

Manila is one of the most useful Asian connections from POM and is served by both Air Niugini and Philippine Airlines. There are around 31 flights per month, with the flight taking roughly 5 hours and 40 minutes.

Honiara

Honiara is actually a very well connected route from POM. There are around 20 scheduled flights per month, which works out at roughly four to five flights per week. The flight takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes, making Honiara one of the easiest Pacific destinations to reach from PNG. Current Air Niugini fares can be around K2,500 / $550 return, although prices vary significantly by date. Also not always reliable…..

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has around 18 scheduled flights per month and is one of the main Asian hubs for getting further into China and the rest of Asia. The flight takes around 6 hours and 45 minutes.

Singapore

Singapore also has around 18 scheduled flights per month, with a flight time of around 6 hours and 30 minutes. This is probably the best connection if you want to continue into Southeast Asia.

Guangzhou

Guangzhou is currently the only mainland Chinese city with a direct connection to POM. China Southern operates the route, with a flight time of around seven hours.

Tokyo

Tokyo returned to the POM network in July 2026 after Air Niugini suspended the route in 2020. There are now two weekly flights, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, taking around 6 hours and 50 minutes.

Nadi

Nadi is the main Fiji connection and gives you another useful route into the Pacific. The flight takes around 4 hours and 50 minutes.

Auckland

Auckland is not currently operating but is scheduled to start in November 2026, giving POM another useful connection into the South Pacific and New Zealand.

Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon

Scant information on this route, but it does exist! I know this because my staff booked it. Hopefully this route shall continue!

Overall Digital Nomad Port Moresby Scene

There’s no coworking places in Port Moresby and all of the good cafes and indeed internet is located at hotels. The internet and data though is good and cheap, which is about the only plus.

Yet despite how I have written this, I actually spend a lot of time POM and like it, to a degree.

It is though not at all a spot for being a digital nomad, nor really even living unless you are earning a lot of coin.

Overall nomad score 2/10

Click to see our Papua New Guinea Tour.

Table of Contents