Moving to Papua New Guinea from Somalia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Somalia to Papua New Guinea, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SO
20.2
PG
14.9

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SO
$52
PG
$133
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SO
0.2
PG
0.6

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SO
64.0
PG
38.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SO
0.0t
PG
0.5t

Somalia 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

SO
0.7
PG
0.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SO
24.5%
PG
0.1%

Somalia generally does better on infrastructure, though Papua New Guinea leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SO
19.0%
PG
2.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SO
$1,500
PG
$4,200

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Somalia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SO
55.7 yrs
PG
69.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SO
86.5
PG
33.6

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Somalia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Mogadishu Rain: 18.7 in/yr (474 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 Mogadishu Port Moresby
Jan–Mar 86°/74°F (30°/24°C) 89°/74°F (32°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) 88°/74°F (31°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/73°F (29°/23°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) 90°/74°F (32°/24°C)
View all months
Month Mogadishu Port Moresby
Jan 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C) 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C)
Feb 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C)
Mar 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C)
Apr 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C) 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C)
May 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C) 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C)
Jul 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C)
Oct 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C)
Nov 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C) 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C)
Dec 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C) 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C)

Data: Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Somalia 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.

Somalia passport

Somalia passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

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

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Somalia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Papua New Guinea passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Somalia.

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 Somalia and Papua New Guinea.

Is Papua New Guinea safe for expats?

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to Somalia?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 0.2 in Somalia. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Somalia: 27).

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

The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Mogadishu. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Mogadishu gets 18.7 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 Somalia, the official languages are Arabic and Somali.

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At a Glance

SO PG
Population 12,386,248 9,593,498
Currency Somali Shilling (SOS) Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK)
Languages Arabic, Somali English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +252 +675
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 000