Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Hong Kong: $2,984 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Port Vila despite lower rent and utilities.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong and in Port Vila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,157 in Port Vila, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Port Vila $3,157

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $5,424 in Port Vila, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Port Vila $5,424

Hong Kong is about 5% cheaper than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hong Kong and Port Vila sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Port Vila by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$12.64 VUV 1,480

-33.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$55.9 VUV 6,540

13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$14.29 VUV 1,673

-56.61%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$4.06 VUV 475

20.69%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$2.32 VUV 271

-45.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$2.33 VUV 273

-54.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$4.93 VUV 577

55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$7.24 VUV 847

-13.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$2.86 VUV 335

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$1.90 VUV 223

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$3.83 VUV 448

-43.08%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$6.06 VUV 710

-41.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$17.62 VUV 2,063

42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$16.51 VUV 1,933

-46.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$13.76 VUV 1,611

28.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$6.98 VUV 817

-41.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$2.12 VUV 249

28.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$3.82 VUV 447

20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$9.36 VUV 1,096

-57.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$8.96 VUV 1,049

-63.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$3.50 VUV 410

-6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$2.60 VUV 304

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$1.16 VUV 135

49.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$9.16 VUV 1,073

43.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$12.63 VUV 1,479

31.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$2.50 VUV 292

-19.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$2.73 VUV 319

-20.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$1.24 VUV 145

16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$68.8 VUV 8,054

29.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$2.48 VUV 291

46.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$0.87 VUV 102

50.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$5.22 VUV 611

203.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.82 VUV 213

123.08%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

88.39%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

-1.81%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$640 VUV 74.9K

-61.31%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$22.97 VUV 2,689

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$359 VUV 42.0K

-94.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$67.7 VUV 7,931

34.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$17.18 VUV 2,011

-47.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$625 VUV 73.2K

84.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

218.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$41.44 VUV 4,852

66.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$67.4 VUV 7,894

-40.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$103 VUV 12.0K

14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

89.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

376.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

696.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$667 VUV 78.1K

384.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

6.18

-36.73%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: 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

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5% 35% $601

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Port Vila

$475 15.1% 14.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Port Vila

$1K 32.5% 259% $737

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Port Vila

$250 8% 22% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Port Vila

$134 4.3% 3.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 43.2% $52

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 23.3% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong 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 384% higher in Hong Kong, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $56.0 in Port Vila. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Hong Kong vs $475 in Port Vila – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

22:38 10:38 PM

3 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 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 HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Port Vila 7,380 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
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

Hong Kong vs Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $3,157 in Port Vila – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong and $56.0 in Port Vila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $3,157 in Port Vila. That's a gap of about 6%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,984 in Hong Kong and $3,157 in Port Vila. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,984 in Hong Kong to $3,157 in Port Vila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Hong Kong. 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.