Moving to Papua New Guinea from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Papua New Guinea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Papua New Guinea. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Port Moresby averages 88°F vs 75°F in Los Angeles, making it significantly warmer.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from California to Papua New Guinea, based on official data.
Who's moving to Papua New Guinea?
Top countries of origin for Papua New Guinea's foreign-born residents.
- 13,592
- 9,219
- 1,783
- 1,621
- 1,463
-
6.733
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Papua New Guinea.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than Papua New Guinea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Papua New Guinea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2002), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Papua New Guinea vs California
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Los Angeles | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Los Angeles | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) | 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C) |
| Feb | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C) |
| Mar | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| May | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) |
| Jun | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C) |
| Sep | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C) |
| Nov | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service
Can you move from California to Papua New Guinea?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Papua New Guinea. To live, work, or study long-term in Papua New Guinea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Papua New Guinea's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Papua New Guinea?
Usually fine from major cities in Papua New Guinea. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to California?
Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to California?
The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 75°F in Los Angeles. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Los Angeles gets 14.9 in.
What language do they speak in Papua New Guinea?
The official languages in Papua New Guinea are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. In California, the official language is English.
