Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,560 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Port Vila

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Brisbane vs $3,157 in Port Vila, rent included.

Brisbane $2,560
Port Vila $3,157

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Brisbane vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Brisbane $3,774
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Brisbane vs $5,424 in Port Vila, rent included.

Brisbane $4,987
Port Vila $5,424

Brisbane is about 19% cheaper than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Brisbane and Port Vila sit above the global median – Brisbane by 91%, Port Vila by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.36

$12.64 VUV 1,480

40.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 A$107

$55.9 VUV 6,540

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 A$15.66

$14.29 VUV 1,673

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$4.24 A$6.07

$4.06 VUV 475

4.43%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$2.32 VUV 271

22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.33 VUV 273

6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 A$12.29

$4.93 VUV 577

74.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.80

$7.24 VUV 847

13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.34

$2.86 VUV 335

-43.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.75

$1.90 VUV 223

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 A$3.22

$3.83 VUV 448

-41.25%

Eggs

$4.91 A$7.02

$6.06 VUV 710

-18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.54

$17.62 VUV 2,063

-46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.89

$16.51 VUV 1,933

-45.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 A$19.95

$13.76 VUV 1,611

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$5.98

$6.98 VUV 817

-40.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.33

$2.12 VUV 249

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$3.82 VUV 447

-22.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.84

$9.36 VUV 1,096

-48.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.93

$8.96 VUV 1,049

-69.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.40

$3.50 VUV 410

-32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.60 VUV 304

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.79

$1.16 VUV 135

7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.83 A$55.6

$9.16 VUV 1,073

323.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.68

$12.63 VUV 1,479

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.48

$2.50 VUV 292

109.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.10

$2.73 VUV 319

81.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

$1.24 VUV 145

-72.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 A$30.44

$68.8 VUV 8,054

-69.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 A$4.20

$2.48 VUV 291

18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.56

$0.87 VUV 102

105.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.65 A$59.6

$5.22 VUV 611

697.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.82 VUV 213

-20.33%

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

$26.9K A$38.6K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

14.43%

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

$28.0K A$40.1K

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

-26.31%

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

$156 A$223

$640 VUV 74.9K

-75.59%

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

$25.94 A$37.12

$22.97 VUV 2,689

12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 A$85.4

$359 VUV 42.0K

-83.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 A$87.0

$67.7 VUV 7,931

-10.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 A$32.99

$17.18 VUV 2,011

34.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 A$25.03

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

$1,943 A$2,780

$625 VUV 73.2K

210.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K A$18.3K

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

83.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 A$117

$41.44 VUV 4,852

97.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.63 A$63.9

$67.4 VUV 7,894

-33.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$103 VUV 12.0K

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 A$2,825

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,945

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,333 A$4,770

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

-1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,281

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

22.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,100 A$11.6K

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

32.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,066 A$8,682

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

174.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,133 A$5,915

$667 VUV 78.1K

519.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.18

-5.99%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 4, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 53.2%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5% 17.8% $242

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$359 14.1%

Port Vila

$475 15.1% 32.2% $116

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12%

Port Vila

$250 8% 18.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$242 9.5%

Port Vila

$1K 32.5% 323% $780

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Port Vila

$134 4.3% 15.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$96 3.8%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 29.3% $28

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.4%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 134% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,974 in Brisbane versus $1,581 in Port Vila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 520% higher in Brisbane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Brisbane versus $56.0 in Port Vila. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Brisbane vs $475 in Port Vila – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD). 1 EUR = 131 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Port Vila 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Port Vila

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

Brisbane vs Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila costs about 23% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Brisbane and $4,735 in Port Vila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Port Vila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Brisbane and $56.0 in Port Vila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,560 in Brisbane and $3,157 in Port Vila. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Vila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.