Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,157 per month in Port Vila vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Vila $3,157
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,290 per month in Port Vila vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Vila $4,290
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,424 per month in Port Vila vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Vila $5,424
Budapest $3,489

Port Vila costs about 95% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Vila and Budapest sit above the global median – Port Vila by 136%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-9.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,540

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-7.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,673

$9.96 Ft 3,241

43.47%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$3.38 Ft 1,100

20.12%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$2.13 Ft 692

8.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$1.87 Ft 608

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$3.75 Ft 1,221

31.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$3.57 Ft 1,162

102.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$1.13 Ft 368

153.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$1.84 Ft 599

3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$2.39 Ft 777

60.25%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$3.83 Ft 1,245

58.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$11.33 Ft 3,686

55.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$6.74 Ft 2,192

144.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-6.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$1.84 Ft 597

279.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$2.01 Ft 653

5.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$2.36 Ft 767

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$3.77 Ft 1,226

148.28%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$0.96 Ft 313

833.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$1.03 Ft 334

239.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$1.56 Ft 509

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$0.66 Ft 216

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$7.96 Ft 2,591

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,479

$6.01 Ft 1,954

110.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$1.30 Ft 421

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$2.08 Ft 676

31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$1.50 Ft 489

-17.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,054

$27.61 Ft 8,982

149.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-24.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$1.30 Ft 424

-33.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-73.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$1.81 Ft 591

0.55%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-19.70%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

11.57%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$170 Ft 55.3K

276.37%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

1433.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,931

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-10.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$537 Ft 174.6K

16.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-57.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,852

$101 Ft 33.0K

-59.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,894

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

56.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$805 Ft 262.0K

96.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$629 Ft 204.7K

77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

119.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

60.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

8.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-44.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-58.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

6.43

-3.89%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 43.7% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 78.7% $804

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 45.8% $217

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 10.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 26.6% $35

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 46.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 25.9% $18

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 $805 in Budapest. 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 144% higher in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $475 in Port Vila vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

9 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

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Between locations

Port Vila Budapest 15,690 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Vila is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,735 per month in Port Vila and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 149% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Port Vila and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Port Vila at $3,157. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. 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.