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: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 355% more expensive than in China on average.

Vanuatu (138% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $458 to $1,247, compared to $3,162–$3,376 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 VUV 1,437

$2.90 ¥19.42

331.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 VUV 6,581

$22.13 ¥148

158.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 VUV 1,673

$5.31 ¥35.57

174.01%

Cappuccino

$4.09 VUV 471

$2.99 ¥20.04

36.79%

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

$2.32 VUV 266

$0.48 ¥3.21

383.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 VUV 268

$0.30 ¥2.03

680.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 VUV 596

$1.02 ¥6.82

407.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 VUV 804

$2.21 ¥14.81

216.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 VUV 354

$1.74 ¥11.66

77.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 VUV 292

$1.68 ¥11.23

51.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 VUV 434

$0.96 ¥6.43

293.75%

Eggs

$5.93 VUV 681

$1.54 ¥10.33

285.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 VUV 1,855

$13.51 ¥90.5

19.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 VUV 1,841

$3.48 ¥23.32

360.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 VUV 1,541

$11.34 ¥76.0

18.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 VUV 778

$1.88 ¥12.57

260.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VUV 236

$1.29 ¥8.67

58.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 454

$1.52 ¥10.17

159.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.86 VUV 1,134

$1.27 ¥8.52

676.38%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,030

$0.72 ¥4.83

1144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 VUV 499

$0.88 ¥5.89

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 289

$0.61 ¥4.06

311.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 VUV 135

$0.55 ¥3.72

112.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 VUV 1,160

$3.73 ¥25.01

170.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 VUV 1,444

$11.87 ¥79.5

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 VUV 332

$0.90 ¥6.03

221.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 VUV 349

$1.68 ¥11.26

80.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 143

$0.29 ¥1.94

327.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 VUV 7,733

$22.23 ¥149

202.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$1.52 ¥10.17

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 VUV 98.5

$0.37 ¥2.48

132.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 VUV 572

$7.33 ¥49.10

-32.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 VUV 212

$1.22 ¥8.19

50.82%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

$19.3K ¥129.4K

19.33%

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

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

$17.1K ¥114.7K

120.55%

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

$637 VUV 73.2K

$53.8 ¥360

1084.95%

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

$22.66 VUV 2,605

$8.71 ¥58.4

160.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.1K

$10.93 ¥73.2

3249.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 VUV 7,839

$40.74 ¥273

67.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 VUV 1,930

$14.53 ¥97.3

15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ¥43.87

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

$630 VUV 72.4K

$457 ¥3,062

37.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

$19.5K ¥130.6K

-64.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 VUV 4,783

$45.62 ¥306

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 VUV 7,644

$35.90 ¥241

85.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 VUV 9,573

$76.1 ¥510

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 VUV 11.5K

$76.4 ¥512

31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

$385 ¥2,578

316.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

$239 ¥1,601

404.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

$840 ¥5,627

299.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

$484 ¥3,242

291.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

33.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

$2,266 ¥15.2K

2.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 VUV 39.4K

$1,065 ¥7,137

-67.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.47

78.10%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $778 in Vanuatu, $294 in China. Capital cities: $1,556 in Port Vila vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $497 in Vanuatu, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 165% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 38% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 74% 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 $853 per month in China and $3,269 in Vanuatu, there's a 283% 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.