Cost of Living inPort-Vila, Vanuatu
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Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Vanuatu: $3,172/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 15% higher than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Port-Vila. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Port-Vila is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Vanuatu.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedLow out-of-pocket burden help, but coverage looks thinner and doctor staffing is lighter.
Public care
LimitedRelatively low patient cost-sharing help, but public coverage looks thinner and the tracked facility mix leans away from public providers.
Private care
LimitedA clearly private facility base help, but the tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
UHC coverage
52/100
2023
Physicians
0.16/1k
2019
Hospital beds
1.73/1k
2008
Out of pocket
8%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
71.7 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
100/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
9.0/1k
2024
International patient readiness
MixedA visible private hospital base help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Vanuatu yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2010 annual wages in Port-Vila, Vanuatu · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can stay up to 120 days without a visa.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Port-Vila compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.1x further in Port-Vila than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Vanuatu here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Port-Vila cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Port-Vila is more expensive overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 15% more expensive than the global benchmark (New York City) for Port-Vila. We are using the country-level cost index for Vanuatu here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Port-Vila compare with New York City?
Rent in Port-Vila is about 100% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Vanuatu here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Port-Vila?
Groceries in Port-Vila are about 100% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 100% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Vanuatu here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Port-Vila
Port-Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, with about 36,000 residents on the southern coast of Efate island in the South Pacific. The local economy combines government, port activity, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and a long-established offshore financial center, with the broader country among the more cyclone-exposed and tectonically active in the Pacific. Bislama, an English-based creole, is the everyday lingua franca; English and French are co-official languages reflecting the country's Anglo-French condominium history. Bauerfield International Airport provides regional flights. The climate is tropical with a cyclone-influenced wet season from November to April; Cyclone Pam in 2015 and subsequent storms have caused significant damage. Port-Vila offers a long-controversial citizenship by investment program. The city suits relocators with regional, financial, or NGO sector ties.
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