Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Vila and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Vila and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,157 in Port Vila versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Port Vila $3,157
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,290 in Port Vila versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Port Vila $4,290
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,424 in Port Vila versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Port Vila $5,424
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Port Vila is roughly 17% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Vila 136% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$20.22 $20.22

-37.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,540

$85.0 $85.0

-34.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,673

$12.35 $12.35

15.71%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$5.47 $5.47

-25.78%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$3.82 $3.82

-39.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$2.50 $2.50

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$8.06 $8.06

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$8.99 $8.99

-19.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$1.13 $1.13

153.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$3.78 $3.78

-49.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$3.25 $3.25

17.85%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$4.14 $4.14

46.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$13.08 $13.08

34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$14.31 $14.31

15.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$15.96 $15.96

-13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$4.38 $4.38

59.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$1.45 $1.45

46.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$4.54 $4.54

-15.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$4.19 $4.19

123.39%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$2.63 $2.63

240.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$2.36 $2.36

48.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$1.76 $1.76

47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$2.16 $2.16

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$9.81 $9.81

-6.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,479

$14.72 $14.72

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$2.78 $2.78

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$3.48 $3.48

-21.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$1.49 $1.49

-16.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,054

$40.51 $40.51

69.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$2.67 $2.67

-7.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$1.58 $1.58

-44.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$35.29 $35.29

-85.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$0.99 $0.99

83.84%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$35.8K $35.8K

-34.22%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$27.2K $27.2K

40.03%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$219 $219

191.70%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$58.0 $58.0

-60.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$68.4 $68.4

425.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,931

$57.9 $57.9

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$14.82 $14.82

15.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$1,509 $1,509

-58.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-67.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,852

$51.7 $51.7

-19.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,894

$44.05 $44.05

53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$85.1 $85.1

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$105 $105

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$1,932 $1,932

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$1,272 $1,272

-12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

$3,670 $3,670

-7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$2,525 $2,525

-25.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

$7,617 $7,617

-19.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$3,199 $3,199

-31.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$5,105 $5,105

-86.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

6.79

-8.98%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 13.9% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 66.2% $676

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 15.2% $72

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 39% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 3.7% $4.9

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 29.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 27.2% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,581 in Port Vila and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 666% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Port Vila vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $475 vs $403, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

05:34 5:34 AM

16 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VUV – Vanuatu Vatu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Vatu (Vt)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Port Vila Austin, TX 11,360 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Austin, TX

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

Port Vila vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Port Vila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 666% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,581 in Port Vila versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,157 per month in Port Vila versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 70% less than in Port Vila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Port Vila and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.