Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,539 a month against $3,216 in Vanuatu, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Vanuatu
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Vanuatu Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,216

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vanuatu and in Australia

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

A single person spends $3,216 per month in Vanuatu vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Vanuatu $3,216
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Vanuatu vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Vanuatu $4,324
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $5,432 per month in Vanuatu vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Vanuatu $5,432
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Vanuatu ($3,155–$3,454), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Vanuatu is about 27% higher than in Australia on average.

Both Vanuatu and Australia are pricier than the global median – Vanuatu by 137%, Australia by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 VUV 1,457

$17.35 A$24.97

-28.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,553

$84.5 A$122

-33.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 VUV 1,660

$10.98 A$15.79

28.87%

Cappuccino

$3.97 VUV 466

$3.84 A$5.53

3.39%

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

$2.30 VUV 270

$2.89 A$4.16

-20.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 VUV 274

$2.29 A$3.29

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 VUV 590

$7.79 A$11.21

-35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 VUV 863

$8.42 A$12.12

-12.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 VUV 367

$1.75 A$2.52

78.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 VUV 293

$2.78 A$4.00

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 VUV 452

$2.31 A$3.33

67.10%

Eggs

$6.21 VUV 728

$4.89 A$7.04

26.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 VUV 1,911

$9.95 A$14.32

63.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.00 VUV 1,876

$9.06 A$13.03

76.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 VUV 1,554

$14.92 A$21.46

-11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.57 VUV 771

$3.65 A$5.25

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 VUV 243

$3.03 A$4.36

-31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 VUV 459

$3.24 A$4.66

20.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.09 VUV 1,184

$4.69 A$6.76

115.14%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,052

$2.85 A$4.11

214.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 VUV 510

$2.32 A$3.34

87.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 VUV 305

$2.43 A$3.50

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VUV 137

$1.66 A$2.39

-30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 VUV 1,122

$38.47 A$55.4

-75.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 VUV 1,460

$13.84 A$19.92

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 344

$4.87 A$7.01

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 VUV 351

$5.28 A$7.59

-43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 VUV 151

$2.71 A$3.90

-52.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 VUV 7,943

$94.0 A$135

-27.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 VUV 295

$3.57 A$5.14

-29.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 VUV 95.4

$1.63 A$2.35

-50.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 VUV 587

$40.04 A$57.6

-87.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 VUV 216

$1.33 A$1.91

38.35%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-20.89%

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

$37.3K VUV 4.4M

$25.7K A$37.0K

45.14%

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

$624 VUV 73.2K

$205 A$296

204.04%

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

$22.95 VUV 2,692

$28.24 A$40.63

-18.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$360 VUV 42.2K

$57.0 A$82.0

531.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 VUV 7,963

$55.4 A$79.7

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 VUV 1,971

$19.46 A$28.01

-13.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

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

$632 VUV 74.1K

$2,097 A$3,017

-69.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,850 VUV 803.5K

$18.0K A$26.0K

-62.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.81 VUV 4,787

$78.0 A$112

-47.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 VUV 7,797

$55.3 A$79.6

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 VUV 9,991

$112 A$161

-23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 12.1K

$122 A$175

-15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 VUV 183.7K

$1,559 A$2,244

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 VUV 140.6K

$1,215 A$1,748

-1.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 VUV 394.0K

$2,435 A$3,504

37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 VUV 222.5K

$1,924 A$2,769

-1.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,080 VUV 713.1K

$8,175 A$11.8K

-25.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,184 VUV 256.2K

$6,060 A$8,721

-63.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$345 VUV 40.4K

$4,038 A$5,811

-91.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

5.94

4.04%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: October 20, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vanuatu

$1.2K 37.3%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 1.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vanuatu

$1K 31.3%

Australia

$291 11.4% 71.2% $717

Groceries & Markets

Vanuatu

$482 15%

Australia

$372 14.7% 22.8% $110

Eating Out

Vanuatu

$248 7.7%

Australia

$294 11.6% 18.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Vanuatu

$133 4.1%

Australia

$165 6.5% 24.2% $32

Getting Around

Vanuatu

$79 2.5%

Australia

$117 4.6% 46.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Vanuatu

$68 * 2.1%

Australia

$85 3.4% 25.9% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $794 in Vanuatu vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,587 in Port Vila and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $488 in Vanuatu vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 72% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 193% more in Australia.

Public transport is 127% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 690% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

Same time as Vanuatu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,019

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to VUV – Vanuatu Vatu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Vatu (Vt)

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vanuatu Australia 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Vanuatu
Australia

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

Vanuatu vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 27% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Vanuatu costs about 27% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Vanuatu. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Vanuatu it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.