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 $677 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,224 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A couple spends around $982 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,154 in Vanuatu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,287 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $3,083 in Vanuatu, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is roughly 79% lower than in 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

$7.73 PGK 34.11

$11.39 VUV 1,325

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.15 PGK 212

$64.3 VUV 7,490

-25.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PGK 25.79

$9.58 VUV 1,115

-38.94%

Cappuccino

$2.30 PGK 10.15

$5.10 VUV 594

-54.90%

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

$0.90 PGK 3.95

$2.13 VUV 248

-57.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.29

$1.71 VUV 199

-56.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 PGK 12.99

$4.51 VUV 525

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 PGK 20.23

$4.11 VUV 478

11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 PGK 8.74

$2.45 VUV 285

-19.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.98

$2.73 VUV 318

-42.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.65

$3.73 VUV 435

-59.52%

Eggs

$3.76 PGK 16.56

$5.14 VUV 598

-26.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 PGK 27.86

$20.00 VUV 2,329

-68.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 PGK 29.39

$16.59 VUV 1,932

-59.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 40.38

$16.76 VUV 1,951

-45.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.90

$4.71 VUV 549

-13.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 PGK 12.03

$2.78 VUV 323

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 PGK 21.69

$5.50 VUV 641

-10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PGK 17.75

$3.33 VUV 388

20.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 PGK 15.21

$5.17 VUV 602

-33.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 PGK 10.67

$2.82 VUV 328

-14.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 PGK 12.59

$2.51 VUV 292

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.72

$1.32 VUV 154

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 PGK 27.98

$9.56 VUV 1,113

-33.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 PGK 48.18

$14.82 VUV 1,725

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 PGK 11.56

$3.28 VUV 382

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 PGK 15.66

$2.93 VUV 341

21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.06

$1.71 VUV 199

-72.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 PGK 125

$68.1 VUV 7,929

-58.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 PGK 24.32

$2.15 VUV 250

156.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 11.02

$0.81 VUV 94.9

208.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 PGK 75.4

$4.99 VUV 581

242.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.93

$1.94 VUV 226

-42.27%

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

$24.1K PGK 106.4K

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

4.72%

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

$30.8K PGK 136.0K

$38.5K VUV 4.5M

-20.01%

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

$101 PGK 447

$545 VUV 63.5K

-81.44%

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

$48.45 PGK 214

$25.05 VUV 2,916

93.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$211 PGK 929

$232 VUV 27.0K

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.44 PGK 54.9

$17.11 VUV 1,992

-27.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.80 PGK 43.24

$12.77 VUV 1,486

-23.26%

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

$432 PGK 1,907

$626 VUV 72.8K

-30.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 PGK 18.0K

$6,974 VUV 811.8K

-41.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 PGK 157

$46.39 VUV 5,400

-23.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 PGK 160

$68.0 VUV 7,910

-46.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 PGK 302

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 PGK 290

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.4K

$1,896 VUV 220.7K

60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 PGK 2,093

$1,808 VUV 210.4K

-73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,153 PGK 13.9K

$3,414 VUV 397.4K

-7.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 PGK 3,144

$2,096 VUV 244.0K

-66.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,088 PGK 9,209

$6,075 VUV 707.2K

-65.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,779 PGK 16.7K

$2,207 VUV 256.9K

71.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PGK 1,852

$336 VUV 39.1K

24.91%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,987 in Papua New Guinea vs $942 in Vanuatu. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,149 in Port Moresby and $1,885 in Port Vila.

Average salary: $318 in Papua New Guinea vs $490 in Vanuatu. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 111% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 313% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 54% 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 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.