Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Vanuatu Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Vanuatu

Name: Vanuatu
Address: VU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,180 per month in Australia vs $3,223 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $3,121 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,261 per month in Australia vs $3,019 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Australia is roughly 32% cheaper than Vanuatu on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Vanuatu are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Vanuatu by 141%.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,570–$2,819) than Vanuatu ($3,025–$3,420), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 A$22.63

$11.22 VUV 1,327

44.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$111

$65.6 VUV 7,760

20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 A$13.48

$9.39 VUV 1,111

2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.54 A$4.96

$5.03 VUV 595

-29.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.12 VUV 251

27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.07

$1.73 VUV 205

26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 A$8.92

$4.58 VUV 542

39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$9.81

$4.14 VUV 490

69.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$2.37 VUV 280

-36.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.51

$2.87 VUV 340

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.92

$3.80 VUV 450

-45.00%

Eggs

$4.25 A$5.96

$5.27 VUV 624

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.40

$20.27 VUV 2,397

-56.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 A$11.47

$16.62 VUV 1,965

-50.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 A$19.63

$16.83 VUV 1,990

-16.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.36

$4.89 VUV 578

-36.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.81

$2.87 VUV 340

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.06

$5.32 VUV 629

-45.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.08

$3.41 VUV 404

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.58

$5.09 VUV 602

-49.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.08

$2.83 VUV 334

-22.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.09

$2.47 VUV 293

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.12

$1.35 VUV 159

12.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.34 A$43.87

$9.42 VUV 1,114

232.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 A$19.82

$16.47 VUV 1,948

-14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.53 A$6.34

$3.16 VUV 374

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.88

$2.91 VUV 344

69.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.01

$1.71 VUV 202

67.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 A$136

$67.9 VUV 8,024

42.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.90

$2.13 VUV 252

64.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.47

$0.82 VUV 96.6

115.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.3

$5.15 VUV 609

639.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$1.88 VUV 223

-38.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.5K A$41.2K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

24.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.9K A$32.1K

$37.7K VUV 4.5M

-39.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 A$247

$531 VUV 62.8K

-66.78%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.54 A$37.15

$25.34 VUV 2,997

4.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.9

$225 VUV 26.6K

-76.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.58 A$66.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.94 A$23.71

$17.06 VUV 2,018

-0.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 A$18.83

$12.80 VUV 1,513

5.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,605 A$2,247

$622 VUV 73.5K

158.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.5K

$6,923 VUV 818.6K

80.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 A$101

$46.46 VUV 5,494

54.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$71.3

$66.8 VUV 7,896

-23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$140

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 A$1,953

$1,864 VUV 220.5K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 A$1,534

$1,762 VUV 208.3K

-37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 A$3,248

$3,343 VUV 395.3K

-30.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 A$2,445

$2,035 VUV 240.6K

-14.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,516 A$10.5K

$8,456 VUV 999.9K

-11.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,564 A$7,790

$3,346 VUV 395.6K

66.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,033 A$5,646

$456 VUV 54.0K

783.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

-9.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: April 19, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,234 in Australia vs $940 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,569 in Canberra and $1,879 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $3,866 in Australia vs $578 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 133% more in Australia.

Public transport is 97% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 569% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Vanuatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 47% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Vanuatu, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Vanuatu consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 47% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Vanuatu it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.