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 $473 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,269 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A couple spends around $747 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,269 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,021 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,269 in Vanuatu, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 86% lower than in Vanuatu on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Papua New Guinea sits 66% below the global median, while Vanuatu is 138% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 PGK 30.82

$12.50 VUV 1,437

-43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.01 PGK 195

$57.3 VUV 6,581

-21.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PGK 25.09

$14.55 VUV 1,673

-60.14%

Cappuccino

$2.39 PGK 10.36

$4.09 VUV 471

-41.56%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.46

$2.32 VUV 266

-65.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.94

$2.34 VUV 268

-70.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PGK 11.98

$5.18 VUV 596

-46.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 PGK 17.97

$7.00 VUV 804

-40.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PGK 7.99

$3.08 VUV 354

-39.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.66

$2.54 VUV 292

-39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 PGK 6.07

$3.78 VUV 434

-62.96%

Eggs

$3.70 PGK 16.00

$5.93 VUV 681

-37.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 PGK 27.74

$16.13 VUV 1,855

-60.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PGK 24.95

$16.01 VUV 1,841

-64.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.23

$13.41 VUV 1,541

-32.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 PGK 17.14

$6.77 VUV 778

-41.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 14.80

$2.05 VUV 236

66.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 PGK 26.97

$3.95 VUV 454

57.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 PGK 21.19

$9.86 VUV 1,134

-50.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 PGK 15.53

$8.96 VUV 1,030

-59.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.68

$4.34 VUV 499

-43.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 PGK 7.74

$2.51 VUV 289

-28.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.62

$1.17 VUV 135

-8.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 PGK 26.96

$10.09 VUV 1,160

-38.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 PGK 47.78

$12.56 VUV 1,444

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 PGK 12.22

$2.89 VUV 332

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PGK 16.45

$3.04 VUV 349

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PGK 1.90

$1.24 VUV 143

-64.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.99 PGK 112

$67.3 VUV 7,733

-61.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 PGK 22.10

$2.56 VUV 294

99.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 PGK 9.67

$0.86 VUV 98.5

159.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 PGK 62.6

$4.98 VUV 572

190.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 PGK 4.29

$1.84 VUV 212

-46.20%

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

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

-3.32%

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

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

-37.78%

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

$94.1 PGK 407

$637 VUV 73.2K

-85.23%

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

$28.27 PGK 122

$22.66 VUV 2,605

24.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$120 PGK 520

$366 VUV 42.1K

-67.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 PGK 280

$68.2 VUV 7,839

-4.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 PGK 90.7

$16.79 VUV 1,930

24.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 PGK 39.87

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

$534 PGK 2,313

$630 VUV 72.4K

-15.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

-18.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.36 PGK 153

$41.61 VUV 4,783

-15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 PGK 135

$66.5 VUV 7,644

-53.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 PGK 299

$83.3 VUV 9,573

-16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 PGK 404

$100 VUV 11.5K

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 PGK 7,161

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 PGK 1,972

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

-62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

-22.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 PGK 4,580

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

-44.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 PGK 8,867

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

-66.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

67.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 PGK 1,799

$343 VUV 39.4K

21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

6.18

121.20%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $780 in Papua New Guinea vs $778 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,657 in Port Moresby and $1,556 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $317 in Papua New Guinea vs $497 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 53% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 57% higher in Vanuatu, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Papua New Guinea.

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 320% 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 320% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.