The Cost of Renting a Car in Vanuatu: Full Car Rental Cost Breakdown

Budget cars are not always the obvious winner in Vanuatu, even if they look like the cheapest choice on paper. A compact city car is only really OK for driving around Port Vila city centre or Santo's East Coast Road.

Vanuatu’s potholes can be impressively deep (and not in a fun “natural wonder” kind of way), even in suburban areas like Pango. For this reason, we highly recommend hiring an SUV if you plan to drive beyond central Port Vila, especially for the Efate Ring Road, or the south coast of Santo, which is best tackled with a high-clearance vehicle.

Cars in a car rental company’s “budget” category are likely to be either compact city cars, older models or the smallest SUV category available. The latter is usually the more sensible choice in Vanuatu, with compact SUVs and mini 4WDs giving you better clearance for potholes without jumping straight into the premium price range.

The Cost of Hiring a Compact City Car

The typical “compact city car” in Vanuatu is a Suzuki Spresso, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i10, Hyundai Kona or similar. Daily rates are usually around 9,000-11,000 VT, although some weekly rates drop to around 5,500-9,140 VT per day depending on the rental company and hire length.

The Cost of Hiring a Compact SUV

The cheapest practical upgrade is usually a compact SUV or mini 4WD, such as a Suzuki Jimny, Toyota Rush, Kia Seltos or similar. Daily rates are typically around 9,500-14,000 VT, with weekly rates often dropping to around 8,000-12,000 VT per day.

For rental companies that hire vehicles at the cheaper end of the price scale, see the 15 Best Car Rentals in Port Vila, Santo and Vanuatu.

If you want the most practical vehicle for exploring beyond Port Vila or all around Santo, a premium SUV or pick-up truck (also known as a ute) is where Vanuatu car rental starts to make a lot more sense. Unlike in some destinations where a ute feels like overkill, the high clearance is genuinely useful here, especially once you leave the smoother town roads behind.

For the Efate Ring Road, outer suburbs and rougher access roads, premium SUVs and 4WD utes are usually the more comfortable option. They are still gas-guzzlers, of course, so they can guzzle your travel budget if you only plan to drive between the airport, your hotel and town.

That being said, those who need a high-clearance 4WD know who they are, so be prepared to pay a premium rental rate for larger SUVs and pick-up trucks/utes in Vanuatu.

The Cost of Hiring a Premium SUV

Typical premium SUV models that you are able to hire in Vanuatu include the Toyota Prado, Kia Sorento, Toyota RAV4 and similar high-clearance vehicles. Prices are usually around 14,000-19,500 VT per day, with weekly hires often reducing the daily rate to around 12,000-15,795 VT.

Seven-seat SUVs and larger high-clearance models tend to sit at the higher end of the price range, but they are worth considering for families, groups or anyone planning to tackle rougher roads with luggage in the boot.

The Cost of Hiring a Pick-Up Truck/Ute

Typical pick-up trucks/utes available to hire in Vanuatu include Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200. Prices are usually around 14,000-19,500 VT per day, although some longer hires can bring the daily cost down to around 10,000-13,000 VT.

See which rental companies hire out larger 4WDs, premium SUVs and utes in the 15 Best Car Rentals in Port Vila, Santo and Vanuatu.

Of course, hiring a vehicle doesn’t just include the daily rate. There are other costs to keep in mind, such as the mandatory cost of fuel, refundable security deposit and possible card payment fees.

There are also optional extras, such as hotel delivery, airport delivery, baby seats and insurance excess reduction. Note that some inclusions in your car rental are often free, such as roadside assistance and an additional driver, provided the extra driver signs the rental agreement.

• Petrol/litre - 165-175 VT
• Hotel delivery - 500-2,000 VT
• Airport delivery - FREE-3,000 VT
• Insurance excess reduction/day - 1,500-4,500 VT
• Included kilometres/day - 50-100 km (some companies offer unlimited kilometres)
• Extra kilometre charge - 25-50 VT per km
• Baby seat/day - FREE-4,000 VT
• Roadside assistance - FREE
• Additional driver - FREE (must sign the rental agreement)
• Fuel service fee - 1,500 VT (if the vehicle is not returned with a full tank)
• Security deposit (refundable) - 40,000-350,000 VT (credit card pre-authorisation)
• Credit card fee - 3.5-4% of the payment total

So, how much does it cost to rent a car in Vanuatu? In other words, how much should you budget for? Below, we have calculated some approximate prices for renting a car in Vanuatu across three different durations.

For these examples, we’re using a compact SUV, such as a Suzuki Jimny or similar, at around 10,000 VT per day, dropping to around 9,000 VT per day for a weekly rental. This is not the absolute cheapest vehicle category, but it is the one we recommend for most travellers, thanks to its higher clearance on Vanuatu’s pothole-prone roads.

How Much is it to Hire a Car for a Day in Vanuatu?

Compact SUV car rental for just one day in Vanuatu is approximately 10,000 VT per day.

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip - Our experience shows that this roughly comes to 1,700 VT if travelling approximately 130 km (81 mi), such as driving the Efate Ring Road or up and down the entire length of the Santo East Coast Road. This is based on petrol at around 170 VT per litre and a compact SUV using roughly 7.5 L/100 km.
• Bear in mind that some companies may charge 25-50 VT per km once over 100 km, which could be an additional 750-1,500 VT.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay 11,700 VT for your transportation in Vanuatu for one day in a compact SUV. This does not include any additional services like vehicle delivery, insurance excess reduction, baby seats, credit card fees, etc.

How Much is it to Hire a Car for 5 Days in Vanuatu?

Compact SUV car rental in Vanuatu is approximately 50,000 VT for five days (that’s 10,000 VT per day).

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip - Our experience shows that this roughly comes to 3,800 VT if travelling approximately 300 km (186 mi) around Efate or Santo. You’re unlikely to drive the full Efate Ring Road or Santo East Coast Road every day, after all, unless you really, really like potholes.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay 53,800 VT for your transportation in Vanuatu for five days in a compact SUV. This does not include any additional services like vehicle delivery, insurance excess reduction, baby seats, credit card fees, etc.

How Much is it to Hire a Car for a Week in Vanuatu?

Compact SUV car rental in Vanuatu is approximately 63,000 VT for seven days (that’s 9,000 VT per day on a weekly rental rate).

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip - Our experience shows that this roughly comes to 5,100 VT if travelling approximately 400 km (249 mi) around Efate.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay 68,100 VT for your transportation in Vanuatu for seven days in a compact SUV.