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 $3,227 per month in Vanuatu vs $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Vanuatu vs $984 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,085 per month in Vanuatu vs $1,286 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Vanuatu costs about 373% 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 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 VUV 1,270

$7.87 PGK 34.40

39.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 VUV 7,350

$47.75 PGK 209

33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 VUV 1,087

$5.90 PGK 25.78

59.66%

Cappuccino

$5.04 VUV 582

$2.31 PGK 10.10

118.18%

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

$2.22 VUV 256

$0.89 PGK 3.91

149.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 VUV 202

$0.75 PGK 3.27

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 VUV 513

$2.84 PGK 12.43

56.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 VUV 490

$4.44 PGK 19.42

-4.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 VUV 277

$1.97 PGK 8.63

21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 315

$1.58 PGK 6.89

72.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 442

$1.48 PGK 6.46

158.78%

Eggs

$5.25 VUV 606

$3.89 PGK 16.98

34.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.37 VUV 2,351

$6.00 PGK 26.22

239.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,934

$6.63 PGK 28.98

152.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 VUV 1,937

$9.04 PGK 39.52

85.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 VUV 553

$4.07 PGK 17.79

17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 VUV 322

$2.74 PGK 11.99

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 VUV 631

$4.91 PGK 21.47

11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 VUV 398

$4.00 PGK 17.50

-13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 VUV 591

$3.44 PGK 15.03

48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 VUV 330

$2.49 PGK 10.88

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 VUV 283

$2.88 PGK 12.58

-14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 VUV 154

$1.05 PGK 4.60

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 VUV 1,092

$6.54 PGK 28.58

44.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 VUV 1,661

$11.23 PGK 49.08

28.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 364

$2.52 PGK 11.01

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 339

$3.53 PGK 15.43

-16.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 VUV 199

$0.50 PGK 2.20

246.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 VUV 7,843

$27.86 PGK 122

143.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 VUV 236

$5.28 PGK 23.09

-61.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 101

$2.48 PGK 10.86

-64.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 VUV 591

$16.94 PGK 74.1

-69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 VUV 215

$1.11 PGK 4.85

68.47%

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

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

$24.0K PGK 104.9K

-3.44%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

$31.3K PGK 136.6K

21.95%

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

$544 VUV 62.8K

$102 PGK 448

431.48%

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

$25.63 VUV 2,958

$48.00 PGK 210

-46.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 VUV 26.3K

$213 PGK 930

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 VUV 1,936

$12.34 PGK 53.9

35.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 VUV 1,432

$9.78 PGK 42.74

26.89%

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

$611 VUV 70.5K

$434 PGK 1,898

40.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

66.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.56 VUV 5,373

$35.81 PGK 157

30.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 VUV 7,788

$35.50 PGK 155

90.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

$473 PGK 2,066

271.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

4.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

$731 PGK 3,196

178.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

$2,143 PGK 9,369

186.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

-43.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$338 VUV 39.1K

$427 PGK 1,868

-20.80%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $941 in Vanuatu vs $1,958 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,882 in Port Vila and $2,151 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $496 in Vanuatu vs $325 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 10% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 53% 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 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.