Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,148 in Port Vila versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Port Vila $3,148
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,290 in Port Vila versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Port Vila $4,290
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,432 in Port Vila versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Port Vila $5,432
Phuket $2,867

Living in Port Vila is roughly 161% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Vila is 133% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 VUV 1,474

$4.58 ฿153

174.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,558

$32.48 ฿1,086

72.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.47 VUV 1,697

$8.55 ฿286

69.24%

Cappuccino

$3.99 VUV 468

$2.72 ฿91.0

46.69%

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

$2.30 VUV 270

$0.94 ฿31.25

144.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 VUV 276

$0.49 ฿16.39

379.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 VUV 603

$2.59 ฿86.6

98.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 VUV 839

$3.83 ฿128

86.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 VUV 320

$1.74 ฿58.1

56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 VUV 231

$1.43 ฿47.82

37.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 VUV 426

$1.53 ฿51.0

137.25%

Eggs

$6.30 VUV 739

$2.17 ฿72.7

190.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 VUV 2,061

$19.15 ฿640

-8.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 VUV 1,947

$3.30 ฿110

403.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 VUV 1,604

$11.14 ฿372

22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 VUV 837

$2.95 ฿98.5

141.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 VUV 252

$1.68 ฿56.1

27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 VUV 453

$2.30 ฿76.8

67.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.44 VUV 1,107

$2.13 ฿71.3

343.19%

Potato (1kg)

$9.13 VUV 1,071

$1.53 ฿51.1

496.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 VUV 407

$1.36 ฿45.55

155.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 VUV 303

$1.12 ฿37.44

130.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 VUV 140

$0.55 ฿18.24

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 VUV 1,063

$4.26 ฿142

112.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 VUV 1,467

$18.19 ฿608

-31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 287

$1.74 ฿58.2

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 VUV 316

$2.79 ฿93.3

-3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 VUV 151

$2.22 ฿74.1

-41.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 VUV 8,052

$22.06 ฿737

211.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 VUV 302

$2.91 ฿97.3

-11.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 VUV 103

$1.01 ฿33.79

-12.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 609

$3.83 ฿128

35.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 VUV 206

$1.49 ฿49.85

18.12%

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

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-14.40%

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

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

42.03%

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

$636 VUV 74.6K

$99.4 ฿3,321

539.69%

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

$22.30 VUV 2,615

$11.28 ฿377

97.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$362 VUV 42.4K

$17.36 ฿580

1982.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,936

$52.3 ฿1,747

29.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 VUV 1,986

$10.85 ฿362

56.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

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

$631 VUV 74.0K

$558 ฿18.7K

13.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-39.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.45 VUV 4,862

$62.9 ฿2,102

-34.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 VUV 7,856

$28.58 ฿955

134.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 VUV 12.0K

$88.1 ฿2,943

16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

$729 ฿24.4K

112.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

143.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

62.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

54.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

71.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-13.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 VUV 79.5K

$493 ฿16.5K

37.52%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 58.9% $660

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 87.4% $891

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$476 15.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 43.8% $209

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 51.6% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 51.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 0.4% $0.2

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 $1,549 in Port Vila and $729 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: $56.0 in Port Vila vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

4 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Vila Phuket 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. The 161% 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: $1,549 in Port Vila versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Port Vila versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,148 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 161% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.