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 $682 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,227 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A couple spends around $984 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,156 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,286 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,085 in Vanuatu, rent included.

Papua New Guinea is roughly 79% cheaper than Vanuatu on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 49% below the global median, while Vanuatu is 141% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 34.40

$11.00 VUV 1,270

-28.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 PGK 209

$63.7 VUV 7,350

-25.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PGK 25.78

$9.42 VUV 1,087

-37.37%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 10.10

$5.04 VUV 582

-54.17%

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

$0.89 PGK 3.91

$2.22 VUV 256

-59.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.27

$1.75 VUV 202

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 PGK 12.43

$4.45 VUV 513

-36.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 PGK 19.42

$4.25 VUV 490

4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 PGK 8.63

$2.40 VUV 277

-17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.89

$2.73 VUV 315

-42.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PGK 6.46

$3.83 VUV 442

-61.36%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.98

$5.25 VUV 606

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PGK 26.22

$20.37 VUV 2,351

-70.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PGK 28.98

$16.76 VUV 1,934

-60.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.52

$16.78 VUV 1,937

-46.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.79

$4.79 VUV 553

-15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 11.99

$2.79 VUV 322

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.47

$5.47 VUV 631

-10.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.50

$3.45 VUV 398

15.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 15.03

$5.12 VUV 591

-32.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.88

$2.86 VUV 330

-12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 PGK 12.58

$2.46 VUV 283

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.60

$1.33 VUV 154

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 PGK 28.58

$9.46 VUV 1,092

-30.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 PGK 49.08

$14.39 VUV 1,661

-21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 PGK 11.01

$3.16 VUV 364

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.43

$2.94 VUV 339

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$1.73 VUV 199

-71.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 PGK 122

$68.0 VUV 7,843

-59.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 PGK 23.09

$2.05 VUV 236

157.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.86

$0.87 VUV 101

185.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.94 PGK 74.1

$5.12 VUV 591

230.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.85

$1.87 VUV 215

-40.64%

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

$24.0K PGK 104.9K

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

3.57%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

-18.00%

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

$102 PGK 448

$544 VUV 62.8K

-81.18%

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

$48.00 PGK 210

$25.63 VUV 2,958

87.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 930

$228 VUV 26.3K

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 PGK 53.9

$16.78 VUV 1,936

-26.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 PGK 42.74

$12.41 VUV 1,432

-21.19%

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

$434 PGK 1,898

$611 VUV 70.5K

-28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

-39.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.81 PGK 157

$46.56 VUV 5,373

-23.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 PGK 155

$67.5 VUV 7,788

-47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 PGK 2,066

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

-73.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

-4.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 PGK 3,196

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

-64.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,369

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

-65.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

77.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,868

$338 VUV 39.1K

26.26%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,958 in Papua New Guinea vs $941 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,151 in Port Moresby and $1,882 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $325 in Papua New Guinea vs $496 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 10% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 53% 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 282% 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 282% 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.