Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,067 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Vila and in Kuala Lumpur

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

A single person spends $3,157 per month in Port Vila vs $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Port Vila $3,157
Kuala Lumpur $1,067

A couple spends around $4,290 per month in Port Vila vs $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Port Vila $4,290
Kuala Lumpur $1,662

A family of three spends $5,424 per month in Port Vila vs $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Port Vila $5,424
Kuala Lumpur $2,257

Port Vila costs about 196% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Port Vila sits 136% above the global median, while Kuala Lumpur is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$4.80 MYR 19.60

163.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,540

$28.82 MYR 118

93.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,673

$5.00 MYR 20.40

185.80%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$3.05 MYR 12.47

33.11%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$0.85 MYR 3.46

172.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$0.45 MYR 1.84

417.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$4.51 MYR 18.41

9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$6.00 MYR 24.50

20.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$2.11 MYR 8.63

35.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$1.08 MYR 4.40

75.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$2.02 MYR 8.24

89.60%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$2.55 MYR 10.40

137.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$13.85 MYR 56.6

27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$4.39 MYR 17.91

276.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$9.66 MYR 39.46

42.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$3.47 MYR 14.16

101.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$1.77 MYR 7.23

19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$2.25 MYR 9.21

69.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$1.55 MYR 6.34

503.87%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$1.33 MYR 5.43

573.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$1.38 MYR 5.64

153.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$1.17 MYR 4.79

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$0.67 MYR 2.73

73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$4.38 MYR 17.87

109.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,479

$18.87 MYR 77.1

-33.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$3.62 MYR 14.78

-30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$5.06 MYR 20.64

-46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$0.72 MYR 2.92

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,054

$12.46 MYR 50.9

452.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$1.25 MYR 5.11

98.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-29.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$4.82 MYR 19.68

8.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$0.86 MYR 3.52

111.63%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

-43.05%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

10.12%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$61.5 MYR 251

940.52%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$8.60 MYR 35.12

167.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$26.25 MYR 107

1267.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,931

$49.06 MYR 200

38.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$7.69 MYR 31.39

123.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.23

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$295 MYR 1,204

112.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

-47.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,852

$72.6 MYR 296

-42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,894

$41.57 MYR 170

62.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$85.7 MYR 350

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$95.2 MYR 389

7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$625 MYR 2,553

152.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$378 MYR 1,545

195.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

$1,177 MYR 4,806

188.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$639 MYR 2,608

193.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

48.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$1,504 MYR 6,141

46.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$1,491 MYR 6,088

-55.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

4.18

47.85%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7% 66.1% $739

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8% 90.6% $925

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25% 42.6% $202

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9% 48.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 71.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4% 13% $8.8

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 $625 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 124% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $273 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

3 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Vila Kuala Lumpur 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Kuala Lumpur

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Vila is pricier by about 196%, 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 $1,600 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 74% 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Port Vila at $3,157. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – 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 Kuala Lumpur. 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.