Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,067 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
Learn more

Port Vila Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,067 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $3,157 in Port Vila, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,067
Port Vila $3,157

A couple spends around $1,662 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,662
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $5,424 in Port Vila, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,257
Port Vila $5,424

Kuala Lumpur is about 66% cheaper than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Kuala Lumpur sits 20% below the global median, while Port Vila is 136% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MYR 19.60

$12.64 VUV 1,480

-62.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.82 MYR 118

$55.9 VUV 6,540

-48.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 MYR 20.40

$14.29 VUV 1,673

-65.01%

Cappuccino

$3.05 MYR 12.47

$4.06 VUV 475

-24.88%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$2.32 VUV 271

-63.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$2.33 VUV 273

-80.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$4.93 VUV 577

-8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 MYR 24.50

$7.24 VUV 847

-17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.63

$2.86 VUV 335

-26.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.90 VUV 223

-43.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.24

$3.83 VUV 448

-47.26%

Eggs

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$6.06 VUV 710

-57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.85 MYR 56.6

$17.62 VUV 2,063

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MYR 17.91

$16.51 VUV 1,933

-73.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.46

$13.76 VUV 1,611

-29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 MYR 14.16

$6.98 VUV 817

-50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$2.12 VUV 249

-16.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.21

$3.82 VUV 447

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.34

$9.36 VUV 1,096

-83.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$8.96 VUV 1,049

-85.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.64

$3.50 VUV 410

-60.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$2.60 VUV 304

-55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$1.16 VUV 135

-42.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.87

$9.16 VUV 1,073

-52.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 MYR 77.1

$12.63 VUV 1,479

49.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.78

$2.50 VUV 292

44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.64

$2.73 VUV 319

85.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.24 VUV 145

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.46 MYR 50.9

$68.8 VUV 8,054

-81.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$2.48 VUV 291

-49.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$0.87 VUV 102

42.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 MYR 19.68

$5.22 VUV 611

-7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$1.82 VUV 213

-52.75%

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

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

75.58%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

-9.19%

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

$61.5 MYR 251

$640 VUV 74.9K

-90.39%

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

$8.60 MYR 35.12

$22.97 VUV 2,689

-62.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 MYR 107

$359 VUV 42.0K

-92.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.06 MYR 200

$67.7 VUV 7,931

-27.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 MYR 31.39

$17.18 VUV 2,011

-55.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.23

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

$295 MYR 1,204

$625 VUV 73.2K

-52.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

89.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 MYR 296

$41.44 VUV 4,852

75.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$67.4 VUV 7,894

-38.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 MYR 350

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 MYR 389

$103 VUV 12.0K

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 MYR 2,553

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

-60.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,545

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

-66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 MYR 4,806

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

-65.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,608

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

-65.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

-32.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 MYR 6,141

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

-31.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,491 MYR 6,088

$667 VUV 78.1K

123.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

6.18

-32.36%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5% 195% $739

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25%

Port Vila

$475 15.1% 74.1% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

Port Vila

$134 4.3% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9%

Port Vila

$250 8% 93% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8%

Port Vila

$1K 32.5% 961% $925

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 14.9% $8.8

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 254% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $625 in Kuala Lumpur 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 124% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur versus $56.0 in Port Vila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $475 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

23:28 11:28 PM

3 h ahead of Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Port Vila 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
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

Kuala Lumpur vs Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Vila is pricier by about 196%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,600 per month in Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur and $56.0 in Port Vila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Port Vila at $3,157. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – 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 Kuala Lumpur. 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.