Vanuatu
An accessible active volcano, blue swimming holes and the original bungee jump.
Flat. The exchange rate moved −1.2%; local prices rose +2.5%.
- Lean
- $56
- Comfort
- $328
Indicative score, not ranked: the cost figures here are rough estimates.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Vanuatu: costs for US-dollar travelers are about the same as a year ago in real terms (−0.3%). A mid-range day costs roughly $133 per person, excluding international flights; this is a rough estimate from limited price evidence. The US State Department advisory is Level 1 (normal precautions). Its indicative score on the Trip Arbitrage Index is 56 out of 100; it is not ranked, because its cost figures are rough estimates.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 53
- Price floor ×0.30
- 32
- Safety ×0.20
- 100
- Ease ×0.14
- 55
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | +2.0% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | −0.3% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | −1.2% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +2.5% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +4.2% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 1 | Normal precautions |
| Ease of travel | 3.2 / 5 | Workable |
- Mount Yasur on Tanna
- The SS President Coolidge wreck
- Blue holes on Espiritu Santo
Cyclone season runs November to April, domestic flights are unreliable, and imported food is expensive.
When to go
November is shoulder season- Janoff season
- Feboff season
- Maroff season
- Aprshoulder season
- Maypeak season
- Junpeak season
- Julpeak season
- Augpeak season
- Seppeak season
- Octpeak season
- Novshoulder season
- Decoff season
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 1: Normal precautions · updated May 21, 2025
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Workable · 3.2 / 5
Booking a trip: Vanuatu
Partner links- FlightsKiwi.com ↗Compare fares across airlines, including the low-cost carriers that booking sites often leave out.
- Places to stayBooking.com ↗Hotels, guesthouses and apartments, most with free cancellation.
- Mobile dataAiralo ↗An eSIM you install before you land, usually far cheaper than roaming.
- Travel medical insuranceSafetyWing ↗Covers emergencies abroad; can be bought after you have already left home.
- Spending moneyWise ↗A multi-currency card that converts at the mid-market rate, the one this index uses.
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide ↗Day trips, guides and entry tickets, bookable ahead with free cancellation on most.
These go to outside companies we think are useful for this trip. Nothing here affects a score or a ranking. How we make money
Vanuatu, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Vanuatu?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Vanuatu costs about $56 on a lean budget, $133 mid-range and $328 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate. Price evidence for this country is thin, so treat these figures as rough.
- Is Vanuatu cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- It is about the same. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved −1.2% for US-dollar holders while prices in Vanuatu rose +2.5%, a net real change of −0.3% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Vanuatu is 4.2% cheaper.
- Is Vanuatu safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Vanuatu at Level 1: Normal precautions. Cyclone season runs November to April, domestic flights are unreliable, and imported food is expensive. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Vanuatu?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are: April, November. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in: May, June, July, August, September, October. Right now (November) is shoulder season.
- How easy is Vanuatu to travel around?
- Vanuatu scores 3.2 out of 5 for ease of travel (workable), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. An accessible active volcano, blue swimming holes and the original bungee jump.
Elsewhere in Oceania
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Vanuatu reads −0.3% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $133. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.