Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Vila: $3,157 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
Learn more

Port Vila Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Singapore and in Port Vila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $3,157 in Port Vila, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Port Vila $3,157

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $5,424 in Port Vila, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Port Vila $5,424

Singapore costs about 9% more than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Singapore and Port Vila sit above the global median – Singapore by 158%, Port Vila by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$12.64 VUV 1,480

-8.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$55.9 VUV 6,540

27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$14.29 VUV 1,673

-38.70%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$4.06 VUV 475

29.31%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$2.32 VUV 271

-21.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.33 VUV 273

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$4.93 VUV 577

70.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$7.24 VUV 847

38.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$2.86 VUV 335

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.90 VUV 223

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$3.83 VUV 448

-29.24%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$6.06 VUV 710

-38.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$17.62 VUV 2,063

22.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$16.51 VUV 1,933

-42.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$13.76 VUV 1,611

88.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$6.98 VUV 817

-35.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$2.12 VUV 249

46.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$3.82 VUV 447

20.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$9.36 VUV 1,096

-76.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$8.96 VUV 1,049

-72.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$3.50 VUV 410

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.60 VUV 304

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$1.16 VUV 135

30.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$9.16 VUV 1,073

54.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$12.63 VUV 1,479

88.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$2.50 VUV 292

80.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.73 VUV 319

67.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$1.24 VUV 145

27.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$68.8 VUV 8,054

40.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$2.48 VUV 291

46.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$0.87 VUV 102

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$5.22 VUV 611

209.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.82 VUV 213

37.91%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

561.83%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

$38.1K VUV 4.5M

283.04%

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

$175 SGD 224

$640 VUV 74.9K

-72.64%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$22.97 VUV 2,689

-45.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$359 VUV 42.0K

-92.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$67.7 VUV 7,931

64.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$17.18 VUV 2,011

-29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$625 VUV 73.2K

134.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$6,995 VUV 819.0K

305.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$41.44 VUV 4,852

96.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$67.4 VUV 7,894

-24.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$85.5 VUV 10.0K

30.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$103 VUV 12.0K

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$1,581 VUV 185.1K

84.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$1,117 VUV 130.8K

90.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$3,398 VUV 397.9K

66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$1,872 VUV 219.2K

111.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$6,112 VUV 715.6K

286.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$2,206 VUV 258.3K

662.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$667 VUV 78.1K

555.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.18

-60.52%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.5% 47.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Port Vila

$475 15.1% 3.8% $18

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Port Vila

$250 8% 2.2% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Port Vila

$1K 32.5% 377% $808

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Port Vila

$134 4.3% 20.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 49.7% $67

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 26.9% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $1,581 in Port Vila. 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 555% higher in Singapore, 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 $71.0 in Singapore versus $56.0 in Port Vila. Groceries tell a different story – $457 in Singapore vs $475 in Port Vila – so Singapore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

17:54 5:54 PM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.54 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.62 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

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).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Port Vila 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Port Vila

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

Singapore vs Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 9% more than Port Vila, 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 $5,180 per month in Singapore and $4,735 in Port Vila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Vila, 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 $3,454 in Singapore and $3,157 in Port Vila. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Port Vila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,454 in Singapore and $3,157 in Port Vila. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Port Vila – 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 Port Vila. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.