cost
Cost of Living Index
South Africa89.8 / 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: South Africa leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu 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 | South Africa | 89.8 | 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 | South Africa | 77.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Vanuatu | 79.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Vanuatu | $2,963 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Vanuatu | 11.0x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/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 | South Africa | 32.4% | 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 | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Vanuatu | 88.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Vanuatu | 77.0 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Vanuatu wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to South Africa.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
South Africa leads cost, rent, and salary; Vanuatu leads safety, housing, and jobs.
cost
South Africa
89.8
Vanuatu
100.2
safety
South Africa
77.3
Vanuatu
79.3
housing
South Africa
$2,607
Vanuatu
$2,963
housing
South Africa
13.9x
Vanuatu
11.0x
jobs
South Africa
$522/mo
Vanuatu
$284/mo
jobs
South Africa
32.4%
Vanuatu
5.1%
health
South Africa
62.5
Vanuatu
88.7
health
South Africa
73.5 years
Vanuatu
77.0 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
South Africa
1.2%
Vanuatu
2.3%
education
South Africa
76.2
Vanuatu
92.1
transport
South Africa
71.3
Vanuatu
90.4
safety
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
Vanuatu
0.3 per 100k
safety
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
Vanuatu
17.6 per 100k
health
South Africa
13.5%
Vanuatu
17.8%
quality
South Africa
8
Vanuatu
3.4
housing
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
Vanuatu
$668/sqm
religion
South Africa
77.3%
Vanuatu
88.2%
religion
South Africa
76.2%
Vanuatu
33.0%
religion
South Africa
48.4%
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.