Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,157 in Port Vila versus $934 in Cebu.

Port Vila $3,157
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,290 in Port Vila versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Port Vila $4,290
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,424 in Port Vila versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Port Vila $5,424
Cebu $1,896

Living in Port Vila is roughly 238% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Vila is 136% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$3.03 ₱191

317.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,539

$23.48 ₱1,476

137.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,672

$4.09 ₱257

249.39%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$2.52 ₱158

61.11%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$1.54 ₱97.2

50.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$0.49 ₱31.06

375.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$1.79 ₱113

175.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$2.26 ₱142

220.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$1.95 ₱122

46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$1.43 ₱89.9

32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$1.02 ₱64.0

275.49%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$2.06 ₱129

194.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$9.81 ₱617

79.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$4.61 ₱290

258.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$7.70 ₱484

78.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$3.31 ₱208

110.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$1.45 ₱91.2

46.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$2.36 ₱148

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$1.54 ₱96.6

507.79%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$2.36 ₱148

279.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$1.99 ₱125

75.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$1.15 ₱72.3

126.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$0.67 ₱42.26

73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$3.00 ₱189

205.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,478

$6.35 ₱399

98.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$1.31 ₱82.1

90.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$1.73 ₱109

57.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$0.25 ₱15.82

396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,053

$12.65 ₱796

443.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$0.74 ₱46.44

235.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$0.21 ₱13.15

314.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$4.33 ₱272

20.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$1.33 ₱83.7

36.84%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

8.20%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

96.19%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$121 ₱7,583

430.44%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$14.45 ₱909

58.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$28.29 ₱1,779

1169.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,930

$32.68 ₱2,055

107.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$6.39 ₱402

168.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$273 ₱17.2K

128.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 818.8K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,851

$49.57 ₱3,117

-16.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,893

$24.87 ₱1,564

171.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$76.6 ₱4,817

11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$59.3 ₱3,727

73.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$506 ₱31.8K

212.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$309 ₱19.5K

261.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.8K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

223.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$619 ₱38.9K

202.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.5K

$2,915 ₱183.4K

109.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

18.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$341 ₱21.5K

95.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

7.2

-14.17%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 72.3% $808

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 84% $858

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 55.7% $265

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 64.7% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 29.2% $39

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 80.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 35.6% $24

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 $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Vila pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Port Vila vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

3 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Vila Cebu 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. The 238% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Port Vila, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,581 in Port Vila versus $506 in Cebu. 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 $934 in Cebu – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 444% less than in Port Vila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $3,157 in Port Vila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Port Vila. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Vila, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Port Vila and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.