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: $3,223 in Vanuatu versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,121 in Vanuatu versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Vanuatu versus $1,550 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 $532 to $1,187, compared to $3,025–$3,420 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 VUV 1,323

$2.75 ¥18.78

308.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 VUV 7,732

$24.07 ¥164

172.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 VUV 1,107

$4.84 ¥33.06

94.01%

Cappuccino

$5.03 VUV 592

$2.97 ¥20.26

69.36%

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

$2.12 VUV 250

$0.45 ¥3.05

371.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 VUV 204

$0.29 ¥2.00

496.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 VUV 540

$1.00 ¥6.84

358.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 VUV 488

$2.06 ¥14.09

100.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 VUV 279

$1.82 ¥12.45

30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 VUV 339

$1.62 ¥11.06

77.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 VUV 448

$0.91 ¥6.19

317.58%

Eggs

$5.27 VUV 621

$1.54 ¥10.54

242.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.27 VUV 2,389

$13.32 ¥91.0

52.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 VUV 1,958

$3.27 ¥22.34

408.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 VUV 1,983

$10.56 ¥72.1

59.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 VUV 576

$1.76 ¥11.99

177.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 VUV 339

$1.30 ¥8.90

120.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 VUV 626

$1.45 ¥9.92

266.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 VUV 402

$1.19 ¥8.15

186.55%

Potato (1kg)

$5.09 VUV 599

$0.71 ¥4.82

616.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 VUV 333

$0.91 ¥6.22

210.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 VUV 292

$0.57 ¥3.88

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 VUV 159

$0.53 ¥3.65

154.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 VUV 1,110

$3.50 ¥23.94

169.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 VUV 1,941

$11.85 ¥81.0

38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 372

$0.84 ¥5.71

276.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VUV 342

$1.68 ¥11.48

73.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 202

$0.44 ¥2.99

288.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 VUV 7,996

$20.76 ¥142

226.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 VUV 252

$1.36 ¥9.27

56.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 96.2

$0.35 ¥2.42

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 VUV 607

$6.65 ¥45.40

-22.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 VUV 222

$1.17 ¥7.98

60.68%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$19.1K ¥130.7K

23.50%

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

$37.7K VUV 4.4M

$17.1K ¥117.1K

119.81%

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

$531 VUV 62.5K

$52.0 ¥355

921.38%

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

$25.34 VUV 2,986

$9.65 ¥65.9

162.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$225 VUV 26.5K

$11.16 ¥76.2

1915.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.48 ¥276

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 VUV 2,010

$14.75 ¥101

15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 VUV 1,508

$6.35 ¥43.39

101.57%

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

$622 VUV 73.3K

$410 ¥2,799

51.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 VUV 815.7K

$17.8K ¥121.6K

-61.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 VUV 5,474

$46.08 ¥315

0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 VUV 7,868

$32.86 ¥224

103.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥486

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ¥514

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 VUV 219.7K

$430 ¥2,938

333.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 VUV 207.6K

$261 ¥1,781

575.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,343 VUV 393.9K

$914 ¥6,245

265.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 VUV 239.8K

$542 ¥3,705

275.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,456 VUV 996.3K

$5,177 ¥35.4K

63.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,346 VUV 394.2K

$2,630 ¥18.0K

27.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 VUV 53.8K

$1,060 ¥7,239

-56.93%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $940 in Vanuatu, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,879 in Port Vila vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $578 in Vanuatu, $833 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 57% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 44% 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 $860 per month in China and $3,223 in Vanuatu, there's a 275% 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.