cost
Cost of Living Index
New Zealand92.9 / 100
Vanuatu100.2 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: New Zealand leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; New Zealand leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | New Zealand | 92.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Vanuatu | 100.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | New Zealand | 37.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Vanuatu | 79.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | New Zealand | $3,400 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Vanuatu | $2,963 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | New Zealand | 6.2x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Vanuatu | 11.0x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | New Zealand | $4,100/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Vanuatu | $284/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | New Zealand | 5.1% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Vanuatu | 5.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | New Zealand | 93.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Vanuatu | 88.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | New Zealand | 79.3 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Vanuatu | 77.0 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Vanuatu wins on 13 of 22 metrics compared to New Zealand.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
New Zealand leads cost, housing, and salary; Vanuatu leads safety, rent, and jobs.
cost
New Zealand
92.9
Vanuatu
100.2
safety
New Zealand
37.3
Vanuatu
79.3
housing
New Zealand
$3,400
Vanuatu
$2,963
housing
New Zealand
6.2x
Vanuatu
11.0x
jobs
New Zealand
$4,100/mo
Vanuatu
$284/mo
jobs
New Zealand
5.1%
Vanuatu
5.1%
health
New Zealand
93.1
Vanuatu
88.7
health
New Zealand
79.3 years
Vanuatu
77.0 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
New Zealand
1.7%
Vanuatu
2.3%
education
New Zealand
89.9
Vanuatu
92.1
transport
New Zealand
87.7
Vanuatu
90.4
safety
New Zealand
1.5 per 100k
Vanuatu
0.3 per 100k
safety
New Zealand
9.6 per 100k
Vanuatu
17.6 per 100k
health
New Zealand
34.2%
Vanuatu
17.8%
quality
New Zealand
8
Vanuatu
3.4
housing
New Zealand
$8,601/sqm
Vanuatu
$668/sqm
religion
New Zealand
34.5%
Vanuatu
88.2%
religion
New Zealand
41.7%
Vanuatu
33.0%
religion
New Zealand
72.9%
Vanuatu
93.9%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.