Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,980 in Port Vila versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,025 in Port Vila versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in Port Vila versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Port Vila is roughly 138% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Vila is 123% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 VUV 1,307

$4.55 ฿153

146.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 VUV 7,473

$46.18 ฿1,554

39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 VUV 1,091

$8.84 ฿298

6.00%

Cappuccino

$5.06 VUV 590

$3.06 ฿103

65.36%

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

$2.18 VUV 253

$0.73 ฿24.42

198.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 VUV 197

$0.40 ฿13.40

322.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 VUV 515

$2.43 ฿81.8

81.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 VUV 488

$3.78 ฿127

10.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 VUV 258

$2.26 ฿76.0

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 VUV 289

$1.81 ฿60.9

37.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 VUV 448

$2.25 ฿75.8

71.11%

Eggs

$5.19 VUV 604

$2.25 ฿75.6

130.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 VUV 2,364

$19.51 ฿656

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.40 VUV 2,142

$3.65 ฿123

404.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 VUV 2,143

$13.05 ฿439

41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 VUV 561

$3.23 ฿109

49.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 VUV 243

$1.62 ฿54.4

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 VUV 708

$2.38 ฿80.2

155.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 VUV 297

$2.03 ฿68.2

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 VUV 494

$1.53 ฿51.6

177.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 VUV 243

$1.50 ฿50.5

38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 VUV 301

$0.98 ฿32.93

164.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 VUV 123

$0.52 ฿17.40

101.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 VUV 1,047

$4.44 ฿149

102.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 VUV 1,475

$18.32 ฿616

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 VUV 348

$1.86 ฿62.7

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 VUV 351

$2.68 ฿90.2

12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 VUV 197

$1.41 ฿47.49

19.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 VUV 7,758

$11.70 ฿394

469.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 251

$3.11 ฿105

-30.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 95.8

$1.04 ฿35.08

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 VUV 587

$14.11 ฿475

-64.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 VUV 215

$1.31 ฿44.13

41.22%

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

$23.5K VUV 2.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-15.58%

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

$38.0K VUV 4.4M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

14.50%

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

$542 VUV 63.1K

$122 ฿4,120

342.74%

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

$24.94 VUV 2,903

$13.59 ฿457

83.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$226 VUV 26.3K

$18.70 ฿629

1109.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 VUV 1,923

$16.98 ฿572

-2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 VUV 1,461

$9.07 ฿305

38.37%

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

$620 VUV 72.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-12.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,934 VUV 807.2K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-56.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.05 VUV 5,361

$58.6 ฿1,970

-21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.3 VUV 7,839

$35.36 ฿1,190

90.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 VUV 220.5K

$626 ฿21.1K

202.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 VUV 164.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

217.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 VUV 393.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 VUV 240.2K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

38.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,092 VUV 709.2K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

74.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,199 VUV 256.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-14.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 VUV 80.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

37.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

31.33%

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

Last update for Port Vila: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,894 in Port Vila and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Vila pays 38% 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: $64.0 in Port Vila vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,894 in Port Vila versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Port Vila versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,980 in Port Vila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Vila. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.