Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $3,157 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,157 per month in Port Vila vs $1,395 in Taipei, rent included.

Port Vila $3,157
Taipei $1,395

A couple spends around $4,290 per month in Port Vila vs $2,227 in Taipei, rent included.

Port Vila $4,290
Taipei $2,227

A family of three spends $5,424 per month in Port Vila vs $3,059 in Taipei, rent included.

Port Vila $5,424
Taipei $3,059

Port Vila costs about 126% more than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Vila and Taipei sit above the global median – Port Vila by 136%, Taipei by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 VUV 1,480

$4.76 NT$152

165.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,540

$48.18 NT$1,537

15.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 VUV 1,673

$5.75 NT$183

148.52%

Cappuccino

$4.06 VUV 475

$3.49 NT$112

16.33%

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

$2.32 VUV 271

$0.88 NT$28.03

163.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 273

$0.65 NT$20.61

258.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 VUV 577

$2.86 NT$91.4

72.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 VUV 847

$3.67 NT$117

97.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 VUV 335

$3.09 NT$98.5

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 VUV 223

$2.05 NT$65.5

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 448

$3.06 NT$97.5

25.16%

Eggs

$6.06 VUV 710

$2.70 NT$86.0

124.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 VUV 2,063

$19.66 NT$627

-10.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 VUV 1,933

$9.83 NT$314

67.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 VUV 1,611

$21.11 NT$674

-34.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 VUV 817

$5.08 NT$162

37.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 VUV 249

$3.39 NT$108

-37.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 VUV 447

$3.00 NT$95.8

27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.36 VUV 1,096

$4.56 NT$146

105.26%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,049

$2.72 NT$86.8

229.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 410

$2.28 NT$72.9

53.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 304

$1.68 NT$53.7

54.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 135

$1.15 NT$36.81

0.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 VUV 1,073

$4.05 NT$129

126.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 VUV 1,479

$14.32 NT$457

-11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 VUV 292

$1.70 NT$54.2

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VUV 319

$2.29 NT$73.0

19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 145

$0.61 NT$19.46

103.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 VUV 8,054

$38.47 NT$1,228

78.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 VUV 291

$2.73 NT$87.0

-9.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 102

$0.75 NT$24.02

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 VUV 611

$9.59 NT$306

-45.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 VUV 213

$1.02 NT$32.56

78.43%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

-30.90%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

$24.2K NT$771.9K

57.31%

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

$640 VUV 74.9K

$86.4 NT$2,756

640.55%

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

$22.97 VUV 2,689

$17.12 NT$546

34.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$359 VUV 42.0K

$27.06 NT$864

1226.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,931

$40.77 NT$1,301

66.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 VUV 2,011

$16.04 NT$512

7.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

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

$625 VUV 73.2K

$656 NT$20.9K

-4.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

$16.4K NT$524.1K

-57.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 VUV 4,852

$62.7 NT$2,001

-33.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 VUV 7,894

$39.50 NT$1,261

70.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

$83.9 NT$2,677

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.0K

$106 NT$3,392

-3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

$1,016 NT$32.4K

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

$479 NT$15.3K

133.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

$1,568 NT$50.0K

116.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

$952 NT$30.4K

96.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

$12.2K NT$389.2K

-49.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

$7,207 NT$230.0K

-69.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 VUV 78.1K

$1,772 NT$56.5K

-62.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

2.4

157.50%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5%

Taipei

$479 34.8% 57.2% $639

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.5%

Taipei

$131 9.5% 87.2% $891

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$475 15.1%

Taipei

$401 29.2% 15.5% $74

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Taipei

$125 9.1% 50.1% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.3%

Taipei

$132 9.6% 1.5% $2.1

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 41.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 11.4% $7.7

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 $1,016 in Taipei. 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 166% higher in Taipei, 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 $48.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $401 – making Taipei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

14:43 2:43 PM

3 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Vila Taipei 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Taipei

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila costs about 126% more than Taipei, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,735 per month in Port Vila and $2,092 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,157 in Port Vila and $1,395 in Taipei. That's a gap of about 126%.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Taipei. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,395, than in Port Vila at $3,157. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – 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 Taipei. 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.