Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,148 per month in Port Vila vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Vila $3,148
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $4,290 per month in Port Vila vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Vila $4,290
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,432 per month in Port Vila vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Vila $5,432
Medellin $3,190

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

Both Port Vila and Medellin sit above the global median – Port Vila by 133%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 VUV 1,474

$7.93 COP 25.2K

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,558

$46.13 COP 146.3K

21.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.47 VUV 1,697

$9.50 COP 30.1K

52.32%

Cappuccino

$3.99 VUV 468

$3.11 COP 9,866

28.30%

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

$2.30 VUV 270

$1.83 COP 5,800

25.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 VUV 276

$1.38 COP 4,360

70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 VUV 603

$3.05 COP 9,672

68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 VUV 839

$5.50 COP 17.4K

30.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 VUV 320

$1.45 COP 4,600

88.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 VUV 231

$2.36 COP 7,496

-16.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 VUV 426

$1.68 COP 5,328

116.07%

Eggs

$6.30 VUV 739

$2.86 COP 9,077

120.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 VUV 2,061

$10.19 COP 32.3K

72.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 VUV 1,947

$9.53 COP 30.2K

74.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 VUV 1,604

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 VUV 837

$4.07 COP 12.9K

75.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 VUV 252

$1.50 COP 4,742

43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 VUV 453

$2.17 COP 6,891

77.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.44 VUV 1,107

$2.31 COP 7,310

308.66%

Potato (1kg)

$9.13 VUV 1,071

$1.93 COP 6,113

373.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 VUV 407

$1.64 COP 5,196

111.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 VUV 303

$1.13 COP 3,571

128.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 VUV 140

$1.25 COP 3,954

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 VUV 1,063

$3.99 COP 12.6K

127.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 VUV 1,467

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 287

$1.70 COP 5,384

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 VUV 316

$2.37 COP 7,525

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 VUV 151

$1.21 COP 3,827

6.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 VUV 8,052

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-10.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 VUV 302

$1.32 COP 4,179

94.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 VUV 103

$2.14 COP 6,774

-58.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 609

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-38.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 VUV 206

$1.30 COP 4,114

35.38%

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

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-18.40%

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

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

7.13%

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

$636 VUV 74.6K

$172 COP 545.6K

269.38%

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

$22.30 VUV 2,615

$13.37 COP 42.4K

66.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$362 VUV 42.4K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

1158.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,936

$45.24 COP 143.5K

49.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 VUV 1,986

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-0.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$631 VUV 74.0K

$770 COP 2.4M

-18.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-22.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.45 VUV 4,862

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-52.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 VUV 7,856

$57.1 COP 181.1K

17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

$137 COP 432.9K

-37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 VUV 12.0K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

$616 COP 2.0M

81.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

80.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

84.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

45.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

28.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 VUV 79.5K

$652 COP 2.1M

3.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

10.94

-43.51%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 45% $504

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 79% $805

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$476 15.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 38.1% $182

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 32.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 27.3% $37

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 15.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 14.6% $9.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,549 in Port Vila versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 4% higher in Port Vila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Port Vila versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $476 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

02:39 2:39 AM

16 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VUV – Vanuatu Vatu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Vatu (Vt)

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Port Vila Medellin 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Medellin

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 Medellin: 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 $4,722 per month in Port Vila and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Port Vila and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,148 in Port Vila and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Port Vila at $3,148. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. 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.