Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,227 in Vanuatu versus $2,363 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Vanuatu versus $3,474 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Vanuatu versus $4,585 in United Kingdom.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 37% more expensive than United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Vanuatu 141% above, United Kingdom 76% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,678 to $3,892, compared to $2,983–$3,471 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 VUV 1,270

$20.41 £15.31

-46.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 VUV 7,350

$87.0 £65.3

-26.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 VUV 1,087

$10.13 £7.60

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$5.04 VUV 582

$4.70 £3.52

7.23%

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

$2.22 VUV 256

$2.36 £1.77

-5.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 VUV 202

$1.76 £1.32

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 VUV 513

$6.66 £4.99

-33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 VUV 490

$6.43 £4.82

-33.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 VUV 277

$1.70 £1.28

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 315

$1.63 £1.22

67.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 442

$2.29 £1.72

67.25%

Eggs

$5.25 VUV 606

$4.03 £3.02

30.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.37 VUV 2,351

$9.77 £7.32

108.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,934

$8.92 £6.69

87.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 VUV 1,937

$14.31 £10.73

17.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 VUV 553

$3.05 £2.28

57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 VUV 322

$1.61 £1.20

73.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 VUV 631

$2.84 £2.13

92.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 VUV 398

$3.53 £2.65

-2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 VUV 591

$1.61 £1.20

218.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 VUV 330

$1.57 £1.18

82.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 VUV 283

$1.17 £0.88

110.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 VUV 154

$1.56 £1.17

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 VUV 1,092

$20.03 £15.02

-52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 VUV 1,661

$10.90 £8.17

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 364

$2.90 £2.18

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 339

$3.38 £2.53

-13.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 VUV 199

$3.17 £2.37

-45.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 VUV 7,843

$95.2 £71.4

-28.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 VUV 236

$5.45 £4.09

-62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 101

$1.59 £1.19

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 VUV 591

$27.31 £20.48

-81.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 VUV 215

$1.99 £1.49

-6.03%

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

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

$37.8K £28.3K

-38.62%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

$40.2K £30.1K

-5.09%

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

$544 VUV 62.8K

$323 £242

68.73%

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

$25.63 VUV 2,958

$17.22 £12.91

48.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 VUV 26.3K

$42.23 £31.67

439.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 VUV 1,936

$15.67 £11.75

7.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 VUV 1,432

$13.48 £10.11

-7.94%

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

$611 VUV 70.5K

$1,713 £1,285

-64.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

$20.8K £15.6K

-67.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.56 VUV 5,373

$91.3 £68.4

-48.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 VUV 7,788

$44.88 £33.65

50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £78.0

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

$1,417 £1,062

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

$1,132 £848

55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

$2,308 £1,730

46.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

$1,839 £1,379

10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

$5,727 £4,294

7.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

$4,523 £3,391

-50.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$338 VUV 39.1K

$3,333 £2,499

-89.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

21.74%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: June 1, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $941 in Vanuatu, $1,265 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,882 in Port Vila vs $3,019 in London.

National salary averages: $496 in Vanuatu, $3,219 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 34% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 155% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 174% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 549% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,785 per month in United Kingdom and $3,227 in Vanuatu, there's a 16% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In United Kingdom, $2,500 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. United Kingdom wins on affordability; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.