Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,224 in Vanuatu versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,154 in Vanuatu versus $1,134 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,083 in Vanuatu versus $1,555 in China.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 353% more expensive than in China on average.

Vanuatu (141% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $518 to $1,224, compared to $3,042–$3,406 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 VUV 1,325

$2.82 ¥19.12

303.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 VUV 7,490

$23.43 ¥159

174.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 VUV 1,115

$4.82 ¥32.67

98.76%

Cappuccino

$5.10 VUV 594

$2.98 ¥20.18

71.14%

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

$2.13 VUV 248

$0.48 ¥3.22

343.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 VUV 199

$0.27 ¥1.81

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 VUV 525

$1.01 ¥6.85

346.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 VUV 478

$2.06 ¥13.98

99.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 VUV 285

$1.82 ¥12.32

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 318

$1.63 ¥11.04

67.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 VUV 435

$0.96 ¥6.48

288.54%

Eggs

$5.14 VUV 598

$1.55 ¥10.48

231.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 VUV 2,329

$13.05 ¥88.4

53.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 VUV 1,932

$3.24 ¥21.95

412.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,951

$10.83 ¥73.4

54.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 VUV 549

$1.75 ¥11.84

169.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 VUV 323

$1.28 ¥8.67

117.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 VUV 641

$1.44 ¥9.77

281.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 VUV 388

$1.18 ¥8.02

182.20%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 VUV 602

$0.70 ¥4.77

638.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 VUV 328

$0.88 ¥5.95

220.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 292

$0.58 ¥3.91

332.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 VUV 154

$0.53 ¥3.61

149.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 VUV 1,113

$3.46 ¥23.46

176.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 VUV 1,725

$11.91 ¥80.6

24.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 VUV 382

$0.78 ¥5.27

320.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 VUV 341

$1.62 ¥10.95

80.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 199

$0.44 ¥2.96

288.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 VUV 7,929

$20.65 ¥140

229.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 250

$1.35 ¥9.16

59.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 VUV 94.9

$0.33 ¥2.20

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 VUV 581

$6.49 ¥43.95

-23.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 VUV 226

$1.13 ¥7.64

71.68%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

$19.4K ¥131.7K

18.49%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.5M

$16.5K ¥112.1K

132.93%

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

$545 VUV 63.5K

$51.3 ¥348

962.58%

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

$25.05 VUV 2,916

$10.19 ¥69.0

145.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 VUV 27.0K

$11.11 ¥75.2

1990.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.99 ¥271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 VUV 1,992

$14.55 ¥98.5

17.59%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 VUV 1,486

$6.18 ¥41.88

106.63%

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

$626 VUV 72.8K

$416 ¥2,818

50.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,974 VUV 811.8K

$17.2K ¥116.7K

-59.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 VUV 5,400

$45.94 ¥311

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 VUV 7,910

$32.70 ¥221

107.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥489

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 ¥507

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 VUV 220.7K

$444 ¥3,007

327.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 VUV 210.4K

$253 ¥1,715

613.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 VUV 397.4K

$931 ¥6,304

266.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 VUV 244.0K

$546 ¥3,697

284.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,075 VUV 707.2K

$4,778 ¥32.4K

27.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,207 VUV 256.9K

$2,418 ¥16.4K

-8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 VUV 39.1K

$1,069 ¥7,238

-68.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

72.41%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: July 20, 2026

Last update for China: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $942 in Vanuatu, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,885 in Port Vila vs $896 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $490 in Vanuatu, $856 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 52% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 75% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $3,224 in Vanuatu, there's a 270% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Vanuatu is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Vanuatu it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.