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 $3,269 per month in Vanuatu vs $473 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,269 per month in Vanuatu vs $747 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,269 per month in Vanuatu vs $1,021 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Vanuatu is about 591% higher than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Vanuatu sits 138% above the global median, while Papua New Guinea is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 VUV 1,437

$7.12 PGK 30.82

75.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 VUV 6,581

$45.01 PGK 195

27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 VUV 1,673

$5.80 PGK 25.09

150.86%

Cappuccino

$4.09 VUV 471

$2.39 PGK 10.36

71.13%

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

$2.32 VUV 266

$0.80 PGK 3.46

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 VUV 268

$0.68 PGK 2.94

244.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 VUV 596

$2.77 PGK 11.98

87.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 VUV 804

$4.15 PGK 17.97

68.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 VUV 354

$1.85 PGK 7.99

66.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 VUV 292

$1.54 PGK 6.66

64.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 VUV 434

$1.40 PGK 6.07

170.00%

Eggs

$5.93 VUV 681

$3.70 PGK 16.00

60.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 VUV 1,855

$6.41 PGK 27.74

151.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 VUV 1,841

$5.76 PGK 24.95

177.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 VUV 1,541

$9.06 PGK 39.23

48.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 VUV 778

$3.96 PGK 17.14

70.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VUV 236

$3.42 PGK 14.80

-40.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 454

$6.23 PGK 26.97

-36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.86 VUV 1,134

$4.90 PGK 21.19

101.22%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,030

$3.59 PGK 15.53

149.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 VUV 499

$2.47 PGK 10.68

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 289

$1.79 PGK 7.74

40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 VUV 135

$1.07 PGK 4.62

9.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 VUV 1,160

$6.23 PGK 26.96

61.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 VUV 1,444

$11.04 PGK 47.78

13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 VUV 332

$2.82 PGK 12.22

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 VUV 349

$3.80 PGK 16.45

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 143

$0.44 PGK 1.90

181.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 VUV 7,733

$25.99 PGK 112

158.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$5.11 PGK 22.10

-49.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 VUV 98.5

$2.23 PGK 9.67

-61.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 VUV 572

$14.45 PGK 62.6

-65.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 VUV 212

$0.99 PGK 4.29

85.86%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

3.44%

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

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

60.72%

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

$637 VUV 73.2K

$94.1 PGK 407

576.95%

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

$22.66 VUV 2,605

$28.27 PGK 122

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.1K

$120 PGK 520

204.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 VUV 7,839

$64.8 PGK 280

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 VUV 1,930

$20.94 PGK 90.7

-19.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 PGK 39.87

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

$630 VUV 72.4K

$534 PGK 2,313

17.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 VUV 4,783

$35.36 PGK 153

17.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 VUV 7,644

$31.17 PGK 135

113.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 VUV 9,573

$69.2 PGK 299

20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 VUV 11.5K

$93.4 PGK 404

7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

$1,654 PGK 7,161

-3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

$456 PGK 1,972

164.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

$1,058 PGK 4,580

78.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

$2,049 PGK 8,867

199.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

-40.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 VUV 39.4K

$416 PGK 1,799

-17.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

13.67

-54.79%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $778 in Vanuatu vs $780 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,556 in Port Vila and $1,657 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $497 in Vanuatu vs $317 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 53% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 57% 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 320% 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 320% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 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.