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: $3,162 in Port Vila versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,309 in Port Vila versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,456 in Port Vila versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Port Vila is roughly 152% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Vila is 130% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 VUV 1,446

$4.56 ฿150

175.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 VUV 6,626

$32.62 ฿1,073

76.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.58 VUV 1,681

$8.90 ฿293

63.82%

Cappuccino

$4.14 VUV 477

$2.80 ฿92.2

47.86%

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

$2.27 VUV 261

$0.88 ฿28.94

157.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 282

$0.49 ฿16.08

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 VUV 573

$2.39 ฿78.5

107.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 VUV 810

$3.71 ฿122

89.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 VUV 316

$1.79 ฿58.8

53.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 VUV 217

$1.44 ฿47.40

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 VUV 422

$1.58 ฿52.1

131.65%

Eggs

$6.35 VUV 731

$2.13 ฿69.9

198.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.86 VUV 2,058

$19.92 ฿655

-10.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 VUV 1,864

$3.43 ฿113

371.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 VUV 1,605

$11.33 ฿372

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 VUV 802

$2.95 ฿97.0

135.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 VUV 246

$1.72 ฿56.6

24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 456

$2.32 ฿76.5

70.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.34 VUV 1,076

$2.08 ฿68.4

349.04%

Potato (1kg)

$8.81 VUV 1,015

$1.47 ฿48.34

499.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 403

$1.36 ฿44.65

157.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 VUV 285

$1.10 ฿36.13

125.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 VUV 140

$0.57 ฿18.89

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 VUV 1,059

$4.27 ฿140

115.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 VUV 1,458

$18.42 ฿606

-31.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 VUV 279

$1.87 ฿61.5

29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 VUV 316

$2.92 ฿96.1

-5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 VUV 145

$2.22 ฿73.0

-43.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 VUV 7,872

$22.90 ฿753

198.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$3.03 ฿99.6

-15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 VUV 92.1

$1.07 ฿35.32

-25.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 598

$3.93 ฿129

32.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 VUV 201

$1.49 ฿49.06

16.78%

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

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-14.84%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.4M

$27.5K ฿902.6K

40.27%

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

$635 VUV 73.1K

$103 ฿3,380

517.31%

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

$22.76 VUV 2,623

$10.99 ฿361

107.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.2K

$17.51 ฿576

1992.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 VUV 7,787

$53.5 ฿1,760

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.59 VUV 1,912

$11.20 ฿368

48.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

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

$630 VUV 72.6K

$557 ฿18.3K

13.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,806 VUV 784.3K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-42.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.39 VUV 4,886

$64.1 ฿2,107

-33.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 VUV 7,876

$29.07 ฿956

135.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 VUV 9,544

$96.0 ฿3,155

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 11.9K

$90.3 ฿2,970

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 VUV 179.3K

$730 ฿24.0K

113.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 VUV 132.2K

$500 ฿16.4K

129.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,423 VUV 394.5K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

63.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 VUV 218.8K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

57.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,073 VUV 699.8K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

68.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,260 VUV 260.4K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-10.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$700 VUV 80.7K

$503 ฿16.6K

39.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

5.57

10.95%

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

Last update for Port Vila: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,556 in Port Vila and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Vila pays 39% 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: $57.0 in Port Vila vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $273 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,556 in Port Vila versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $630 in Port Vila versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,162 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 152% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.