Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Vanuatu

Name: Vanuatu
Address: VU

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,539 a month against $3,216 in Vanuatu, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Vanuatu
Learn more

Vanuatu Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Vanuatu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Vanuatu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $3,216 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Vanuatu $3,216

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $4,324 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Vanuatu $4,324

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $5,432 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Vanuatu $5,432

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Vanuatu ($3,155–$3,454), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 21% lower than in Vanuatu on average.

Both Australia and Vanuatu are pricier than the global median – Australia by 87%, Vanuatu by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$12.42 VUV 1,457

39.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$55.9 VUV 6,553

51.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$14.15 VUV 1,660

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$3.97 VUV 466

-3.27%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$2.30 VUV 270

25.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.33 VUV 274

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$5.03 VUV 590

54.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$7.35 VUV 863

14.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$3.13 VUV 367

-44.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.50 VUV 293

11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$3.86 VUV 452

-40.16%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$6.21 VUV 728

-21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$16.29 VUV 1,911

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$16.00 VUV 1,876

-43.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$13.25 VUV 1,554

12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$6.57 VUV 771

-44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.07 VUV 243

46.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$3.91 VUV 459

-17.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$10.09 VUV 1,184

-53.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$8.96 VUV 1,052

-68.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$4.34 VUV 510

-46.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.60 VUV 305

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.16 VUV 137

43.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$9.57 VUV 1,122

301.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$12.45 VUV 1,460

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$2.94 VUV 344

65.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$2.99 VUV 351

76.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$1.29 VUV 151

110.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$67.7 VUV 7,943

38.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.51 VUV 295

42.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$0.81 VUV 95.4

101.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$5.00 VUV 587

700.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.84 VUV 216

-27.72%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

26.40%

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

$25.7K A$37.0K

$37.3K VUV 4.4M

-31.10%

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

$205 A$296

$624 VUV 73.2K

-67.11%

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

$28.24 A$40.63

$22.95 VUV 2,692

23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$360 VUV 42.2K

-84.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$67.9 VUV 7,963

-18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

$16.80 VUV 1,971

15.83%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

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

$2,097 A$3,017

$632 VUV 74.1K

231.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$6,850 VUV 803.5K

163.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$40.81 VUV 4,787

91.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$66.5 VUV 7,797

-16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$85.2 VUV 9,991

31.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$103 VUV 12.1K

18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$1,566 VUV 183.7K

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$1,198 VUV 140.6K

1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$3,359 VUV 394.0K

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$1,897 VUV 222.5K

1.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

$6,080 VUV 713.1K

34.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

$2,184 VUV 256.2K

177.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$345 VUV 40.4K

1071.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

6.18

-3.88%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Vanuatu

$1.2K 37.3% 1.3% $16

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Vanuatu

$482 15% 29.5% $110

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Vanuatu

$248 7.7% 15.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Vanuatu

$1K 31.3% 247% $717

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Vanuatu

$133 4.1% 19.5% $32

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Vanuatu

$79 2.5% 31.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Vanuatu

$68 * 2.1% 20.6% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $794 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $1,587 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $488 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 72% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 193% more in Australia.

Public transport is 127% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 690% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

Same time as Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

300,019

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Australia Vanuatu 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Vanuatu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 27% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Vanuatu costs about 27% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Vanuatu. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$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.