Moving to Papua New Guinea from Sierra Leone

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sierra Leone to Papua New Guinea — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Sierra Leone to Papua New Guinea. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

per 100,000 people per year

SL
2.1
PG
9.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SL
13.8
PG
14.9

Sierra Leone performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SL
$159
PG
$133
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SL
0.4
PG
0.6

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sierra Leone leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SL
97.0
PG
38.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SL
0.2t
PG
0.5t

Sierra Leone generally does better on environment, though Papua New Guinea leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SL
0.0
PG
0.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SL
0.5%
PG
0.1%

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SL
3.2%
PG
2.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SL
$1,700
PG
$4,200

Papua New Guinea generally does better on employment & economy, though Sierra Leone leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SL
58.8 yrs
PG
69.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SL
73.4
PG
33.6

Papua New Guinea generally does better on family life, though Sierra Leone leads in education spending.

Data: National Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Freetown Rain: 116.0 in/yr (2946 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Port Moresby Rain: 35.4 in/yr (899 mm)
88° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Freetown Port Moresby
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) 89°/74°F (32°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/76°F (31°/24°C) 88°/74°F (31°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/75°F (30°/24°C) 90°/74°F (32°/24°C)
View all months
Month Freetown Port Moresby
Jan 86°/75°F (29.9°/23.8°C) 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C)
Feb 87°/75°F (30.3°/24.0°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C)
Mar 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C)
Apr 88°/77°F (31.2°/24.8°C) 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C)
May 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C)
Jun 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.6°C) 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C)
Jul 84°/74°F (28.7°/23.1°C) 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.4°/23.0°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C)
Sep 84°/74°F (29.0°/23.1°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C)
Oct 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C)
Nov 86°/75°F (30.1°/24.0°C) 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C)
Dec 85°/75°F (29.7°/24.1°C) 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C)

Data: Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency, Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sierra Leone 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.

Sierra Leone passport

Sierra Leone passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

Visa Required
Sierra Leone passport holders need a visa to enter Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea passport

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Sierra Leone

Visa on Arrival
Papua New Guinea passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Sierra Leone.

Data: 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?

With 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Papua New Guinea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea.

Is Papua New Guinea safe for expats?

Sierra Leone performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Sierra Leone.

How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to Sierra Leone?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sierra Leone leads in health coverage index. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 0.4 in Sierra Leone. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sierra Leone: 41).

What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to Sierra Leone?

The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Freetown. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Freetown gets 116.0 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 Sierra Leone, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

SL PG
Population 8,692,606 9,593,498
Currency Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL) Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK)
Languages English English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +232 +675
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 000