Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,224 per month in Vanuatu vs $677 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,154 per month in Vanuatu vs $982 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,083 per month in Vanuatu vs $1,287 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Vanuatu is about 376% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Vanuatu sits 141% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 VUV 1,325

$7.73 PGK 34.11

47.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 VUV 7,490

$48.15 PGK 212

33.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 VUV 1,115

$5.85 PGK 25.79

63.76%

Cappuccino

$5.10 VUV 594

$2.30 PGK 10.15

121.74%

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

$2.13 VUV 248

$0.90 PGK 3.95

136.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 VUV 199

$0.75 PGK 3.29

128.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 VUV 525

$2.95 PGK 12.99

52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 VUV 478

$4.59 PGK 20.23

-10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 VUV 285

$1.98 PGK 8.74

23.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 318

$1.58 PGK 6.98

72.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 VUV 435

$1.51 PGK 6.65

147.02%

Eggs

$5.14 VUV 598

$3.76 PGK 16.56

36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 VUV 2,329

$6.32 PGK 27.86

216.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 VUV 1,932

$6.66 PGK 29.39

149.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,951

$9.15 PGK 40.38

83.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 VUV 549

$4.06 PGK 17.90

16.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 VUV 323

$2.73 PGK 12.03

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 VUV 641

$4.92 PGK 21.69

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 VUV 388

$4.02 PGK 17.75

-17.16%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 VUV 602

$3.45 PGK 15.21

49.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 VUV 328

$2.42 PGK 10.67

16.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 292

$2.85 PGK 12.59

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 VUV 154

$1.07 PGK 4.72

23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 VUV 1,113

$6.34 PGK 27.98

50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 VUV 1,725

$10.92 PGK 48.18

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 VUV 382

$2.62 PGK 11.56

25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 VUV 341

$3.55 PGK 15.66

-17.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 199

$0.47 PGK 2.06

263.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 VUV 7,929

$28.26 PGK 125

141.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 250

$5.51 PGK 24.32

-60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 VUV 94.9

$2.50 PGK 11.02

-67.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 VUV 581

$17.09 PGK 75.4

-70.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 VUV 226

$1.12 PGK 4.93

73.21%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

$24.1K PGK 106.4K

-4.51%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.5M

$30.8K PGK 136.0K

25.02%

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

$545 VUV 63.5K

$101 PGK 447

438.69%

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

$25.05 VUV 2,916

$48.45 PGK 214

-48.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 VUV 27.0K

$211 PGK 929

10.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 VUV 1,992

$12.44 PGK 54.9

37.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 VUV 1,486

$9.80 PGK 43.24

30.31%

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

$626 VUV 72.8K

$432 PGK 1,907

44.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,974 VUV 811.8K

$4,080 PGK 18.0K

70.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 VUV 5,400

$35.65 PGK 157

30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 VUV 7,910

$36.24 PGK 160

87.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 PGK 302

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 PGK 290

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 VUV 220.7K

$3,043 PGK 13.4K

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 VUV 210.4K

$474 PGK 2,093

280.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 VUV 397.4K

$3,153 PGK 13.9K

8.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 VUV 244.0K

$713 PGK 3,144

194.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,075 VUV 707.2K

$2,088 PGK 9,209

190.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,207 VUV 256.9K

$3,779 PGK 16.7K

-41.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 VUV 39.1K

$420 PGK 1,852

-19.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

-45.10%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: July 20, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $942 in Vanuatu vs $1,987 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,885 in Port Vila and $2,149 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $490 in Vanuatu vs $318 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 111% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 313% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 54% higher in Vanuatu, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Papua New Guinea.

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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 282% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Vanuatu, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Vanuatu consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the overall 282% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Papua New Guinea 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.