Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,560 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Vila and in Brisbane

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 Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,157 per month in Port Vila vs $2,560 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Vila $3,157
Brisbane $2,560

A couple spends around $4,290 per month in Port Vila vs $3,774 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Vila $4,290
Brisbane $3,774

A family of three spends $5,424 per month in Port Vila vs $4,987 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Vila $5,424
Brisbane $4,987

Port Vila costs about 23% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Vila and Brisbane sit above the global median – Port Vila by 136%, Brisbane by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$17.72 A$25.36

-28.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,540

$74.5 A$107

-24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,673

$10.94 A$15.66

30.62%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$4.24 A$6.07

-4.25%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$2.84 A$4.06

-18.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$2.48 A$3.54

-6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$8.59 A$12.29

-42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$8.25 A$11.80

-12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$1.63 A$2.34

75.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$2.62 A$3.75

-27.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$2.25 A$3.22

70.22%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$4.91 A$7.02

23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$9.46 A$13.54

86.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$9.00 A$12.89

83.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$13.94 A$19.95

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$4.18 A$5.98

66.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$3.02 A$4.33

-29.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$2.96 A$4.24

29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$4.78 A$6.84

95.82%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$2.75 A$3.93

225.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$2.37 A$3.40

47.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$2.36 A$3.37

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$1.25 A$1.79

-7.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$38.83 A$55.6

-76.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,479

$12.35 A$17.68

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$5.23 A$7.48

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$4.96 A$7.10

-44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$0.34 A$0.49

264.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,054

$21.27 A$30.44

223.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$2.94 A$4.20

-15.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$1.79 A$2.56

-51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$41.65 A$59.6

-87.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$1.45 A$2.07

25.52%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$26.9K A$38.6K

-12.61%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$28.0K A$40.1K

35.70%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$156 A$223

309.69%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$25.94 A$37.12

-11.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$59.7 A$85.4

501.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,931

$60.8 A$87.0

11.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$23.05 A$32.99

-25.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 A$25.03

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$1,943 A$2,780

-67.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

$12.8K A$18.3K

-45.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,852

$81.9 A$117

-49.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,894

$44.63 A$63.9

51.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$111 A$158

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$112 A$161

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$1,974 A$2,825

-19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$1,359 A$1,945

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

$3,333 A$4,770

1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$2,293 A$3,281

-18.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

$8,100 A$11.6K

-24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$6,066 A$8,682

-63.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$4,133 A$5,915

-83.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

5.81

6.37%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Brisbane

$1.4K 53.2% 21.6% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Brisbane

$242 9.5% 76.3% $780

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Brisbane

$359 14.1% 24.3% $116

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Brisbane

$306 12% 22.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 17.7% $24

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Brisbane

$35 1.4% 57.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Brisbane

$96 3.8% 41.4% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,581 in Port Vila versus $1,974 in Brisbane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 520% higher in Brisbane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Port Vila versus $74.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $475 in Port Vila vs $359 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Vila Brisbane 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila costs about 23% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,735 per month in Port Vila and $3,841 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Port Vila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Port Vila and $74.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,157 in Port Vila and $2,560 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Vila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.