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: $3,227 in Vanuatu versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Vanuatu versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Vanuatu versus $1,551 in China.

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

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

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $520 to $1,209, compared to $2,983–$3,471 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 VUV 1,270

$2.81 ¥18.99

291.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 VUV 7,350

$23.30 ¥158

173.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 VUV 1,087

$5.01 ¥33.89

88.02%

Cappuccino

$5.04 VUV 582

$3.01 ¥20.40

67.44%

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

$2.22 VUV 256

$0.45 ¥3.03

393.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 VUV 202

$0.29 ¥1.97

503.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 VUV 513

$0.95 ¥6.42

368.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 VUV 490

$2.05 ¥13.88

107.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 VUV 277

$1.76 ¥11.88

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 315

$1.62 ¥10.99

68.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 442

$0.95 ¥6.45

303.16%

Eggs

$5.25 VUV 606

$1.56 ¥10.56

236.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.37 VUV 2,351

$13.06 ¥88.3

55.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,934

$3.28 ¥22.18

410.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 VUV 1,937

$10.65 ¥72.0

57.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 VUV 553

$1.78 ¥12.04

169.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 VUV 322

$1.24 ¥8.42

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 VUV 631

$1.50 ¥10.12

264.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 VUV 398

$1.15 ¥7.79

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 VUV 591

$0.75 ¥5.08

582.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 VUV 330

$0.86 ¥5.81

232.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 VUV 283

$0.62 ¥4.17

296.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 VUV 154

$0.56 ¥3.81

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 VUV 1,092

$3.51 ¥23.78

169.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 VUV 1,661

$11.66 ¥78.9

23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 364

$0.80 ¥5.40

295.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 339

$1.66 ¥11.25

77.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 VUV 199

$0.43 ¥2.93

302.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 VUV 7,843

$20.86 ¥141

225.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 VUV 236

$1.37 ¥9.27

49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 101

$0.35 ¥2.39

148.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 VUV 591

$6.63 ¥44.85

-22.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 VUV 215

$1.14 ¥7.70

64.04%

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

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

20.85%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

127.37%

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

$544 VUV 62.8K

$51.2 ¥346

963.59%

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

$25.63 VUV 2,958

$10.16 ¥68.7

152.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 VUV 26.3K

$11.51 ¥77.9

1877.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 VUV 1,936

$15.05 ¥102

11.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 VUV 1,432

$6.10 ¥41.28

103.44%

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

$611 VUV 70.5K

$402 ¥2,721

52.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

$17.7K ¥119.6K

-61.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.56 VUV 5,373

$45.57 ¥308

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 VUV 7,788

$33.26 ¥225

102.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

$429 ¥2,905

329.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

$257 ¥1,740

583.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

$895 ¥6,059

277.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

$541 ¥3,663

276.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$338 VUV 39.1K

$1,055 ¥7,136

-67.91%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $941 in Vanuatu, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,882 in Port Vila vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $496 in Vanuatu, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 229% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 57% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 74% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $3,227 in Vanuatu, there's a 273% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.