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Money & currency

Money in Papua New Guinea

Updated 2026-10-05

Money & Currency
K

Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK)

Currency code: PGK

Practical Money Tips

Changing money: US and Australian dollars first

US dollars and Australian dollars are the foreign currencies most readily changed into kina; euros and pounds are changed in Port Moresby, but less readily. Bank branches that change money are found in Port Moresby and the larger towns only, and nothing changes foreign banknotes in the villages or on the outer islands.

Cash machines in Port Moresby and the larger towns

Bank cash machines stand in Port Moresby and in the larger towns such as Lae, Mount Hagen, Madang and Goroka. Network outages can put them out of service, even in the capital, so cash is drawn while a machine is working rather than on the day it is needed. In the villages, along the Sepik and on the outer islands there are no machines to count on: the kina for those stretches is drawn in Port Moresby or in the last town before the flight out.

Cards in the larger hotels, cash everywhere else

Foreign cards are accepted mainly by the larger hotels of Port Moresby and by some restaurants and supermarkets in the capital and the bigger towns. Markets, small guesthouses, village stays, boats and most local businesses take cash only. Paying by phone is not something to rely on anywhere in the country.

Small notes for guides, villages and markets

Outside the towns, kina in small notes pays for nearly everything: a local guide or porter, a village stay, a boat between villages, food at a market, a carving bought from its maker. Change is scarce, so the price of a guide, a boat or a stay is agreed before it starts and paid in notes close to the sum; a village may also ask a contribution for a visit or for photographs. A day's cash is carried out of sight and the rest kept apart from it, one of the everyday safety habits in Papua New Guinea.

Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.

Common Money Questions

What currency does Papua New Guinea use?

The Papua New Guinean kina (PGK), divided into 100 toea. It is the currency of everyday payments, in shops, at markets and in villages alike. The kina is rarely sold outside the country, so most visitors change money or draw cash on arrival in Port Moresby.

Can foreign cards be used at cash machines in Papua New Guinea?

In general, yes: the bank cash machines of Port Moresby and the larger towns take foreign debit and credit cards, although a particular machine may refuse a particular card. A second card, kept apart from the first, covers a refusal or a machine that is out of service.

Are flights, lodges and tours paid in advance?

Usually, yes. Domestic flights, lodges, dive resorts and operator-led trips such as a trek on the Kokoda Track are booked and largely paid ahead, which is where a card does most of its work. What is left for the ground is paid in cash: carvings, market food, a village stay arranged locally, and anything the operator does not pay for. Asking the operator in writing which costs it carries and which fall to the traveller shows how much kina to take.

Is bargaining usual at markets in Papua New Guinea?

Not as a habit: at a market the price asked is usually the price, and hard bargaining can give offence. For a carving or another craft piece, a buyer may ask once whether there is a lower “second price” and accept the answer.

Is tipping expected in Papua New Guinea?

No, tipping is not a local custom and is not expected in restaurants or shops. In the larger hotels a tip for good service is welcome, and guides, drivers and porters who have looked after a group for several days are often thanked with something extra in kina at the end of the trip.

Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the Papua New Guinea overview.

Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.