The Top Cheap Eats in Vanuatu

Do you know what 1,000 VT gets you in Vanuatu? Quite a lot, if you know where to look! While resort restaurants can quickly push the budget, markets, casual cafés, food huts, takeaway counters and even nakamals can still serve up filling meals and snacks for less than 1,000 VT.

Note that prices, of course, are subject to change.

Cheap Markets in Vanuatu

For the cheapest proper meals, head straight to the markets. Luganville Municipal Market (Main Street, Luganville) on Santo is one of the best-value food stops, with local meals of fish, chicken or steak served with rice, tomatoes and greens for around 500 VT to 600 VT.

There is a similar set-up toward the back of the Port Vila Central Market (Kumul Highway, Port Vila) where local cook street food right before your eyes.

It’s the kind of place where you can eat like locals do, without the tourist markup. The market is open daily from 6:30 am to 9 pm, making it useful for breakfast, lunch or an easy dinner.

On Malekula, look behind the Lakatoro Market (Lakatoro Back Road, Lakatoro) for a small food hut serving the same sort of local-style meals you’ll find at Luganville Municipal Market. Expect simple plates, local flavours and prices that are hard to beat.

Nakamals and Wos-em Mout Snacks

For a true street-eat experience, don’t overlook Vanuatu’s nakamals, also known as kava bars. Alongside the earthy kava itself, many have wos-em mout stalls, literally “wash your mouth”, selling small snacks to take away the taste.

Some nakamals keep it simple with chestnut skewers or light bites, while others have full barbecues. Needless to say, plenty of these snacks and meals come in well under 1,000 VT.

Learn more about nakamals in the 10 Best Kava Bars (Nakamals) in Vanuatu.

Cheap Cafés and Takeaways

For simple café meals on Santo, Attar Cafe (Main Street, Luganville) is one of the easiest budget options. Rice with egg starts from just 550 VT, toasted sandwiches with one filling cost around 680 VT, and fresh lemon juice or coconut juice comes in under 400 VT.

Near Million Dollar Point, Million Dollar View Restaurant (Canal Road, Luganville) has a signature egg and rice dish for 800 VT, with soft drinks at 200 VT, lemon juice for 100 VT and small chips for 500 VT. Desserts such as ice cream and seasonal fruit salad are also usually around 200 VT to 300 VT, making this a handy stop after sightseeing.

In Port Vila, Island Time Seafront (Waterfront, Port Vila) is a strong budget pick for quick bites and casual meals. Burgers start from 700 VT, rolls range from 600 VT to 850 VT, quarter roast chicken is around 400 VT, spring rolls are 100 VT and plain chips are 350 VT.

Cheap Beach Food and Family-Friendly Bites

For something cheap by the beach, The Beach Bar (Mele Road, Mele Bay) on Efate has breakfast options like eggs on toast for 650 VT and a bacon and egg roll for 700 VT. Kids’ meals start from 500 VT, while a club meal with beef sausage costs around 650 VT.

Banana Bay Beach Club (Efate Ring Road, Enam) also keeps things affordable with toasted sandwiches, such as ham and cheese, for around 500 VT, kumala chips for 350 VT and Tanna coffee from 300 VT. Banana cake at 350 VT makes a sweet little add-on without causing financial drama.

Cheap Indian Food

At Masala Magik at Eat Street (Rue Dartois, Port Vila), you can get Indian-inspired comfort food without spending much. "Dhal Tadka" with rice starts from 800 VT, kids’ sausage and chips cost around 700 VT, plain rice is 300 VT, roti is 200 VT and fresh lime juice is 250 VT.

It’s a particularly good option if you want something filling, warm and vegetarian-friendly on a budget.

Cheap Pizza, Crepes and Treats

At Pizza 83 at Eat Street (Rue Dartois, Port Vila), the cheapest 20 cm pizzas start close to the 1,000 VT mark, with the "Vegetarian" pizza listed at 1,000 VT and other basic varieties around 1,100 VT to 1,200 VT. It’s a good option for groups, as Eat Street has multiple food vendors in one casual setting.

For sweet treats, Amoremio (Bellevue Point, Port Vila) is a French-owned crêperie with basic crêpes from 550 VT to 750 VT, chips for 300 VT, cookies for 300 VT and coffee from 300 VT. The family-friendly setting, complete with a playground, makes it a good low-cost stop if you’re travelling with kids.

Increasing your budget to 1,000 VT to 2,000 VT opens up many more dining options across Vanuatu, especially in Port Vila, around Efate and Santo. This is where you’ll start finding proper sit-down meals, pizzas, burgers, curries, rice bowls, fish and chips, resort lunches and fuller café plates that still feel good value.

Note that prices, of course, are subject to change.

Cheap Local and Sustainable Food

Regenerative Vanua (Elluk Road, Port Vila) is one of the best-value places for locally sourced meals, with many mains around 1,200 VT to 1,400 VT. Expect dishes such as curry chicken, grilled local fish and island steaks, all with a focus on ingredients from Vanuatu farms and markets.

It’s not the rock-bottom cheapest meal in town, but for local sourcing, community support and a garden-style setting, the value is strong.

Cheap Asian and Fusion Food

For modern Asian-fusion dishes, Seasalt Bar + Dining (Kumul Highway, Port Vila) has small plates from around 1,300 VT to 1,400 VT and rice bowls from 1,300 VT to 1,900 VT. Korean-inspired rice bowls, garlic fried rice and other creative plates make this a good step up from basic takeaway without leaping into splurge territory.

Smugglers Seafood Restaurant & Bar on Santo is another good-value option, especially for lunch specials. Meals such as crumbed fish with chips and salad, chicken schnitzel, chicken fried rice and seafood noodles sit around 1,500 VT to 2,000 VT.

Cheap Pizzas and Burgers

Port Vila Burger Co. (Rue Dartois, Port Vila) is one of the few Port Vila eateries offering delivery. Budget-friendly picks include the signature "Vanuatu Burger" for 800 VT, featuring homemade island sauce and pickled susut, while the rotating "Burger of the Month" often showcases local ingredients like pawpaw, mango and tamarind for around 900 VT. For a fuller meal, the combo deals sit in the 1,100 VT to 2,000 VT bracket, with burger, chips and drink combos from around 1,300 VT to 1,900 VT.

If pizza is your budget meal of choice, Second Home Havannah (Efate Ring Road, Havannah) offers pizzas from around 1,400 VT to 1,800 VT and burgers from 1,500 VT to 1,800 VT. Think comfort food like barbecue chicken pizza, Mexican-style pizza, crispy chicken burgers and loaded cheeseburger-style options.

Mali Beach Club (Devil's Point Road, Mele Bay) also has good-value family options, with kids’ meals at 1,200 VT and pizzas from 1,500 VT to 1,950 VT. Their garlic crust pizza at 700 VT is an especially cheap snack or shared side.

For a casual town café, Jill’s Café (Kumul Highway, Port Vila) has burgers from around 1,300 VT to 1,950 VT, burritos and quesadillas from 1,450 VT to 1,800 VT, and breakfast dishes like "Lumberjack Pancakes" from 1,150 VT. It’s not the absolute cheapest, but the long-running café has plenty of filling meals under 2,000 VT.

Cheap Beach Bars and Waterfront Meals

Banyan Beach Bar offers salads, pastas and wood-fired pizzas mostly in the 1,500 VT to 2,000 VT range. The setting, variety and weekend fire shows make it a strong value choice if you want a beach bar meal without heading into resort-price territory.

At Waterfront Bar & Grill / Yachting World, entrées such as fish croquettes, salt and pepper calamari and beef satay are around 1,690 VT, while seafood chowder is around 1,800 VT. It’s more polished than a takeaway joint but still has some good-value waterfront dining options.

Cheap Bungalow Dining on Santo

Some of Santo’s best-value meals are found at beachfront bungalows, although many bungalow restaurants only cater to in-house guests. A few rare exceptions are open to non-guests too, making them worth knowing about if you’re road-tripping around Santo.

Towoc Bungalows (Lonnoc Beach, Hog Harbour) is one such option, offering beachside dining with light meals like fish and chips, burgers and steak with chips from around 1,500 VT to 1,600 VT, while many dinner mains sit at around 1,900 VT. Expect simple, generous plates such as fresh fish with coconut curry sauce, beef with mushroom sauce and hot beef curry.

Continuing around Lonnoc, several bungalow stays also offer affordable local-style meals. Lonnoc Ocean View Bungalows (Lonnoc Beach, Hog Harbour) has budget bites like sandwiches from 500 VT and rice with vegetables for around 1,000 VT, alongside curries and local dishes around 1,800 VT, while Lonnoc Eco Beach Bungalows (Lonnoc Beach, Hog Harbour) has breakfast options, spring rolls, fried rice and curry-style meals using fresh local produce.

These bungalow restaurants are especially useful if you want a relaxed beach setting, local flavours and prices that stay well below many resort restaurants. Just check ahead before turning up, as opening hours and availability can vary.