Vanuatu

How much does a trip to Vanuatu cost? Daily budget and prices

Plan on VT 5,300–12,000 a day as a backpacker, VT 16,500–34,000 mid-range, and VT 40,000+ for comfort, per person sharing a room. That excludes international flights and domestic island flights (about VT 22,000 one way). Outer islands are cash only, so withdraw in Port Vila or Luganville first.

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Updated Sep 20264 min read

GuideVanuatu

Key facts

Currency: Vatu (VUV, VT); cards in Port Vila and Luganville, cash on outer islands
Backpacker day: VT 5,300–12,000 (dorm or bungalow, market food, B buses)
Mid-range day: VT 16,500–34,000 (3★ hotel, restaurant meals, a tour or dive)
Comfort day: VT 40,000–87,000 (4–5★ resort, private transfers)
Domestic flightcheck: About VT 22,000 one way, Port Vila–Tanna or Santo
Cash rule: ATMs only in Port Vila and Luganville; withdraw before flying out
Tipping and bargaining: Not customary
Custom feescheck: VT 500–3,000 cash for waterfalls, beaches, caves, villages

Daily budget by travel style

Figures are per person per day, 2026 estimate, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort. International flights, domestic island flights and volcano or land-diving packages are not included.

Backpackers who stay in island bungalows that include meals often land at the bottom of the band; resort guests in peak season land at the top.

Daily budget by travel style
Tier	Bed	Food	Transport	Sights	Extras	Total per day
Backpacker	VT 2,500–5,000	VT 1,500–3,000	VT 300–1,000	VT 500–2,000	VT 500–1,000	VT 5,300–12,000
Mid-range	VT 7,000–15,000	VT 4,000–7,000	VT 1,500–3,500	VT 3,000–6,000	VT 1,000–2,500	VT 16,500–34,000
Comfort	VT 20,000–45,000	VT 8,000–15,000	VT 4,000–10,000	VT 6,000–12,000	VT 2,000–5,000	VT 40,000–87,000

2026 estimate. Sights line covers tours, dives and entry or custom fees; extras covers drinks, laundry and small purchases.

What individual things cost

Vanuatu prices are set in vatu, and the gap between a market lunch and a resort dinner is wide. These are the items that move a daily budget most.

What individual things cost
Item	Price	Notes
Laplap and fish, Port Vila market	VT 500–800	Cheapest full meal in the capital
Shell of kava at a nakamal	VT 100–200	Evening ritual, cash only
Tusker beer	VT 300–400 shop / VT 500–700 bar	Shop price is roughly half
Shared B bus in town	VT 150–300	Flag it down; pay the driver
Mount Yasur volcano fee	About VT 10,000–12,000	Check current fee
Two-tank Coolidge wreck dive	VT 18,000–25,000	Espiritu Santo
Domestic flight, Port Vila–Tanna or Santo	About VT 22,000 one way	Check current fares
Custom (kastom) fee	VT 500–3,000	Waterfalls, beaches, caves, villages

2026 estimate, per person. Volcano and land-diving packages from Port Vila usually bundle flights, transfers and fees, so the standalone fee is not the whole cost.

Cash, cards and ATMs

Cards work at hotels and larger shops in Port Vila and Luganville. Once you fly to Tanna, Espiritu Santo's outer coast or any smaller island, assume cash only: bungalows, market stalls, kastom fees and bus drivers all want vatu.

ATMs exist in Port Vila and Luganville. Withdraw enough before a domestic flight, because a failed card on an outer island can mean a long trip back to town. Carry small notes; change for a VT 5,000 note is not always available at a roadside stall.

Tipping and bargaining are not customary. A quoted price is the price, and rounding up a taxi fare is a courtesy rather than an expectation.

Where costs change

Island choice matters more than travel style. Efate and Port Vila have the widest range of beds and food, from dorm beds to resorts. Tanna and Espiritu Santo have fewer rooms, so mid-range prices hold up even in simple bungalows, but many include meals, which pulls the food line down.

Season and events push prices up: the dry season from about May to October, plus cruise-ship days in Port Vila, when day-trippers fill tours and restaurants. Land-diving season on Pentecost and major festival weeks sell out early and charter flights cost far more than scheduled ones.

Getting around is the quiet budget item. Shared B buses in town are cheap; a private driver for a day, a charter boat to an island or a 4WD to a remote waterfall is not, and those are the days that break a mid-range budget.

Notes before you budget

Build the international flight and at least one domestic island flight into the total before comparing Vanuatu with other Pacific destinations; the daily costs are moderate, the air costs are not.

Keep a cash buffer of a few thousand vatu for kastom fees and market food, and check current volcano, dive and domestic air fares before you commit, since these are the numbers most likely to have moved.

Questions people ask

How much money do you need per day in Vanuatu?

Backpackers: VT 5,300–12,000 per person per day. Mid-range: VT 16,500–34,000. Comfort: VT 40,000–87,000. These are 2026 estimates for two people sharing a room, and exclude international flights, domestic island flights and volcano or land-diving packages.

Is Vanuatu expensive for tourists?

Daily costs sit between Fiji and a French Pacific territory: market meals and B buses are cheap, but imported food, resort rooms and tours are not. The bigger expense is air travel, including domestic flights of about VT 22,000 one way to Tanna or Santo.

What do meals, hotels and transport cost in Vanuatu?

Market laplap and fish: VT 500–800. A shell of kava: VT 100–200. Tusker beer: VT 300–400 in a shop. A shared B bus: VT 150–300. Beds run from VT 2,500 in a dorm to VT 45,000 in a 4–5★ resort. All 2026 estimates.

Can I use cards in Vanuatu?

Yes in Port Vila and Luganville hotels and larger shops. Outer islands are cash only, including bungalows, market stalls and kastom fees. ATMs are only in those two towns, so withdraw before flying to Tanna or another island.

Do I need to tip or bargain in Vanuatu?

No. Tipping and bargaining are not customary. Prices are quoted as final, and rounding up a fare is optional. Custom fees for waterfalls, beaches, caves and villages are fixed and paid in cash, usually VT 500–3,000.

What is not included in these daily budgets?

International flights, domestic island flights (about VT 22,000 one way), volcano and land-diving packages, and private charters. Nagol day-trip charters from Port Vila cost far more than scheduled flights, so check current packages.

Deep dive

Every source; changeable facts are marked check