Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu

Name: Vanuatu
Address: VU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $695 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,223 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,001 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,121 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,306 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,019 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Papua New Guinea is roughly 78% cheaper than Vanuatu on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 48% below the global median, while Vanuatu is 141% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Papua New Guinea has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,732) than Vanuatu ($3,025–$3,420), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Papua New Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 PGK 34.91

$11.22 VUV 1,323

-29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.31 PGK 208

$65.6 VUV 7,732

-27.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PGK 25.81

$9.39 VUV 1,107

-37.38%

Cappuccino

$2.35 PGK 10.30

$5.03 VUV 592

-53.28%

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

$0.85 PGK 3.73

$2.12 VUV 250

-59.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 PGK 3.46

$1.73 VUV 204

-54.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 PGK 12.86

$4.58 VUV 540

-36.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 PGK 20.51

$4.14 VUV 488

12.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 PGK 8.80

$2.37 VUV 279

-15.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 PGK 6.70

$2.87 VUV 339

-46.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 PGK 6.47

$3.80 VUV 448

-61.32%

Eggs

$3.86 PGK 16.93

$5.27 VUV 621

-26.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 PGK 27.68

$20.27 VUV 2,389

-68.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 PGK 27.93

$16.62 VUV 1,958

-61.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 PGK 40.47

$16.83 VUV 1,983

-45.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.81

$4.89 VUV 576

-16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 PGK 12.33

$2.87 VUV 339

-2.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 PGK 20.59

$5.32 VUV 626

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 PGK 17.32

$3.41 VUV 402

15.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 PGK 14.43

$5.09 VUV 599

-35.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 11.04

$2.83 VUV 333

-11.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 PGK 12.56

$2.47 VUV 292

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.65

$1.35 VUV 159

-21.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 PGK 29.03

$9.42 VUV 1,110

-29.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 PGK 49.17

$16.47 VUV 1,941

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 PGK 11.61

$3.16 VUV 372

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.39

$2.91 VUV 342

20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.02

$1.71 VUV 202

-73.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 PGK 121

$67.9 VUV 7,996

-59.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 PGK 23.13

$2.13 VUV 252

147.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 PGK 10.53

$0.82 VUV 96.2

192.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 PGK 74.1

$5.15 VUV 607

227.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.88

$1.88 VUV 222

-40.96%

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

$23.6K PGK 103.5K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

-0.17%

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

$31.0K PGK 136.0K

$37.7K VUV 4.4M

-17.77%

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

$102 PGK 449

$531 VUV 62.5K

-80.71%

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

$49.38 PGK 217

$25.34 VUV 2,986

94.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$215 PGK 945

$225 VUV 26.5K

-4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 PGK 54.7

$17.06 VUV 2,010

-26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.72 PGK 42.68

$12.80 VUV 1,508

-24.06%

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

$435 PGK 1,910

$622 VUV 73.3K

-30.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

$6,923 VUV 815.7K

-41.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 PGK 152

$46.46 VUV 5,474

-25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 PGK 154

$66.8 VUV 7,868

-47.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 302

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PGK 294

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

$1,864 VUV 219.7K

66.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 PGK 2,138

$1,762 VUV 207.6K

-72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

$3,343 VUV 393.9K

-2.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 PGK 3,111

$2,035 VUV 239.8K

-65.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

$8,456 VUV 996.3K

-68.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

$3,346 VUV 394.2K

18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$399 PGK 1,751

$456 VUV 53.8K

-12.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

82.14%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,993 in Papua New Guinea vs $940 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,146 in Port Moresby and $1,879 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $303 in Papua New Guinea vs $578 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 112% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 10% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 91% higher in Vanuatu, giving Papua New Guinea stronger purchasing power.

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

Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 272% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Vanuatu, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Vanuatu consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 272% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Papua New Guinea, but in Vanuatu it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Papua New Guinea 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.