Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Vanuatu Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Vanuatu

Name: Vanuatu
Address: VU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $617 in French Polynesia versus $3,269 in Vanuatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $962 in French Polynesia versus $3,269 in Vanuatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,307 in French Polynesia versus $3,269 in Vanuatu.

Living in French Polynesia costs about 81% less than in Vanuatu on average.

French Polynesia (55% below) and Vanuatu (138% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CFPF 1,804

$12.50 VUV 1,437

40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 CFPF 8,014

$57.3 VUV 6,581

36.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.82 CFPF 1,517

$14.55 VUV 1,673

1.86%

Cappuccino

$4.36 CFPF 446

$4.09 VUV 471

6.60%

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

$2.65 CFPF 271

$2.32 VUV 266

14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 275

$2.34 VUV 268

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 CFPF 509

$5.18 VUV 596

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CFPF 611

$7.00 VUV 804

-14.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 149

$3.08 VUV 354

-52.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 CFPF 452

$2.54 VUV 292

73.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 CFPF 174

$3.78 VUV 434

-55.03%

Eggs

$7.05 CFPF 722

$5.93 VUV 681

18.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.25 CFPF 3,711

$16.13 VUV 1,855

124.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.21 CFPF 1,659

$16.01 VUV 1,841

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.96 CFPF 2,555

$13.41 VUV 1,541

86.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 CFPF 538

$6.77 VUV 778

-22.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 CFPF 294

$2.05 VUV 236

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.88 CFPF 705

$3.95 VUV 454

74.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 CFPF 805

$9.86 VUV 1,134

-20.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 CFPF 317

$8.96 VUV 1,030

-65.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CFPF 253

$4.34 VUV 499

-43.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.67 CFPF 376

$2.51 VUV 289

46.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 130

$1.17 VUV 135

8.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CFPF 1,379

$10.09 VUV 1,160

33.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.26 CFPF 2,483

$12.56 VUV 1,444

93.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CFPF 297

$2.89 VUV 332

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 CFPF 402

$3.04 VUV 349

29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 CFPF 198

$1.24 VUV 143

55.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 CFPF 1,478

$67.3 VUV 7,733

-78.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 CFPF 983

$2.56 VUV 294

275.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 CFPF 252

$0.86 VUV 98.5

186.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.04 CFPF 2,461

$4.98 VUV 572

382.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CFPF 157

$1.84 VUV 212

-16.85%

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

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

-18.96%

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

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

-18.44%

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

$180 CFPF 18.5K

$637 VUV 73.2K

-71.68%

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

$20.11 CFPF 2,059

$22.66 VUV 2,605

-11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 CFPF 7,464

$366 VUV 42.1K

-80.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 CFPF 7,931

$68.2 VUV 7,839

13.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 VUV 1,930

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,506

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

$479 CFPF 49.0K

$630 VUV 72.4K

-23.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

43.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 CFPF 7,402

$41.61 VUV 4,783

73.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.9 CFPF 7,565

$66.5 VUV 7,644

11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 CFPF 8,220

$83.3 VUV 9,573

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 CFPF 9,558

$100 VUV 11.5K

-7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CFPF 131.8K

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

-19.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 CFPF 101.2K

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

-18.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CFPF 195.5K

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

-43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 CFPF 159.0K

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

-17.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,378 CFPF 755.3K

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

20.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,236 CFPF 945.5K

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

299.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 CFPF 199.6K

$343 VUV 39.4K

469.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.18

-25.57%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $353 in French Polynesia, $778 in Vanuatu. Capital cities: $1,389 in Papeete vs $1,556 in Port Vila.

National salary averages: $2,095 in French Polynesia, $497 in Vanuatu. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 32% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 322% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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

French Polynesia vs Vanuatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $3,269 in Vanuatu, there's a 180% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in French Polynesia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Vanuatu is consistently higher than in French Polynesia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In French Polynesia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Vanuatu it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: French Polynesia wins on affordability; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.