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 $3,223 per month in Vanuatu vs $695 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,121 per month in Vanuatu vs $1,001 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,019 per month in Vanuatu vs $1,306 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Vanuatu costs about 364% more than 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 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Papua New Guinea has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,732) than Vanuatu ($3,025–$3,420), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Papua New Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 VUV 1,323

$7.95 PGK 34.91

41.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 VUV 7,732

$47.31 PGK 208

38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 VUV 1,107

$5.88 PGK 25.81

59.69%

Cappuccino

$5.03 VUV 592

$2.35 PGK 10.30

114.04%

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

$2.12 VUV 250

$0.85 PGK 3.73

149.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 VUV 204

$0.79 PGK 3.46

118.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 VUV 540

$2.93 PGK 12.86

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 VUV 488

$4.67 PGK 20.51

-11.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 VUV 279

$2.01 PGK 8.80

17.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 VUV 339

$1.53 PGK 6.70

87.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 VUV 448

$1.47 PGK 6.47

158.50%

Eggs

$5.27 VUV 621

$3.86 PGK 16.93

36.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.27 VUV 2,389

$6.30 PGK 27.68

221.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 VUV 1,958

$6.36 PGK 27.93

161.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 VUV 1,983

$9.22 PGK 40.47

82.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 VUV 576

$4.06 PGK 17.81

20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 VUV 339

$2.81 PGK 12.33

2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 VUV 626

$4.69 PGK 20.59

13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 VUV 402

$3.95 PGK 17.32

-13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$5.09 VUV 599

$3.29 PGK 14.43

54.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 VUV 333

$2.51 PGK 11.04

12.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 VUV 292

$2.86 PGK 12.56

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 VUV 159

$1.06 PGK 4.65

27.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 VUV 1,110

$6.61 PGK 29.03

42.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 VUV 1,941

$11.20 PGK 49.17

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 372

$2.64 PGK 11.61

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VUV 342

$3.50 PGK 15.39

-16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 202

$0.46 PGK 2.02

271.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 VUV 7,996

$27.61 PGK 121

145.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 VUV 252

$5.27 PGK 23.13

-59.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 96.2

$2.40 PGK 10.53

-65.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 VUV 607

$16.87 PGK 74.1

-69.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 VUV 222

$1.11 PGK 4.88

69.37%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$23.6K PGK 103.5K

0.17%

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

$37.7K VUV 4.4M

$31.0K PGK 136.0K

21.61%

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

$531 VUV 62.5K

$102 PGK 449

418.42%

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

$25.34 VUV 2,986

$49.38 PGK 217

-48.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$225 VUV 26.5K

$215 PGK 945

4.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 PGK 278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 VUV 2,010

$12.46 PGK 54.7

36.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 VUV 1,508

$9.72 PGK 42.68

31.69%

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

$622 VUV 73.3K

$435 PGK 1,910

42.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 VUV 815.7K

$4,072 PGK 17.9K

69.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 VUV 5,474

$34.64 PGK 152

34.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 VUV 7,868

$35.11 PGK 154

90.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PGK 302

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PGK 294

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 VUV 219.7K

$3,112 PGK 13.7K

-40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 VUV 207.6K

$487 PGK 2,138

261.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,343 VUV 393.9K

$3,247 PGK 14.3K

2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 VUV 239.8K

$709 PGK 3,111

187.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,456 VUV 996.3K

$2,637 PGK 11.6K

220.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,346 VUV 394.2K

$3,956 PGK 17.4K

-15.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 VUV 53.8K

$399 PGK 1,751

14.41%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $940 in Vanuatu vs $1,993 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,879 in Port Vila and $2,146 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $578 in Vanuatu vs $303 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 112% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 10% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 91% higher in Vanuatu, giving Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 272% 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 272% 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.