16 Tips to Save Money in Vanuatu

Vanuatu's budget accommodation options are simply known as bungalows, and they're one of the best ways to stretch your travel dollars. These charming retreats are typically run by locals and offer standalone units that provide a much more authentic experience than your average resort stay.

What makes these bungalows special is their use of local materials; some are even treehouses on Tanna LINK#D071. It's accommodation with character, and your wallet will thank you for choosing authenticity over luxury.

We've compiled all our favourite budget-friendly options in The Best Budget Accommodations in Vanuatu guide.

When it comes to paying your way in Vanuatu, we not only recommend paying with cash, as it's often the only accepted form of payment, but also to avoid card fees.

Vendors charge an extra 3 to 6% on all purchases made by foreign bank cards, which certainly adds up after a few purchases!

Bring some cash to Vanuatu with you to start your first few days, then exchange it in Port Vila (see the point below) on arrival.

When you start to get low on funds, withdraw as many vatu as you feel comfortable carrying from an ATM to see you through a few more days.

Make sure you secure your cash, however, as petty theft does happen in Vanuatu.

Learn more about paying your way through the islands using What is the Best Way to Pay in Vanuatu? LINK#TT016 and keep your cash safe following our Vanuatu Safety Tips.

The local currency is the vatu, which can be exchanged at banks and currency exchange bureaus, so shop around at home for the best exchange rates before heading to Vanuatu. If you don't have the time, then exchange at the currency exchange bureaus at Port Vila Airport.

Where is the best place to exchange currency in Port Vila? Vanuatu's major banks, National Bank of Vanuatu, BSP, ANZ and BRED Bank, tend to have better exchange rates for swapping foreign currency for vatu. There are Western Union branches across Port Vila but they don't have the best rates. The best we found was at Port Vila Airport where you have currency exchange bureaus to choose from.

For more on currency exchange, take a look at our tips in The Best Place to Exchange Currency in Vanuatu LINK#TT018.

Let's be honest, cruise lines have a reputation for charging eye-watering prices for shore excursions, and we've seen markups of up to 300%!

That's why we always recommend booking your activities independently. You'll save a considerable amount whilst having much more flexibility with your time.

For cruise passengers looking to make the most of their time ashore, we recommend checking out our 10 Best Shore Excursions in Vanuatu. Better yet, book all your Vanuatu tours directly through book.vanuatupocketguide.com and skip those hefty cruise line fees entirely!

Speaking of accommodations, those with kitchen facilities are available in some of the guesthouses across Port Vila, as well as some accommodations in the outer islands.

Buying local groceries and cooking for yourself will save you a ton compared to eating out continuously.

So, look out for listings with kitchen facilities in our guide, Where to Stay in Vanuatu: 50 Best Accommodations, and follow the advice in A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in Vanuatu LINK#TT020 to learn about where to shop.

We're big fans of renting a car rather than relying on taxis for getting around Port Vila and Luganville. The savings alone make it worth considering: you'll pay around VT$7,300-$13,300 per day for a rental car compared to VT$24,300-$36,400 for taxi services.

If you're arriving on a cruise ship, many rental companies will actually deliver vehicles directly to the port (which saves you the hassle of figuring out transport from the get-go).

For more details on your options, check out our Guide to the Best Car Rentals and get a better sense of pricing in The Cost of Renting a Car in Vanuatu LINK#T004.

Vanuatu's minivan "buses" are all part of the fixtures around Port Vila, characterised by their "B" license plates and taking you where you want to go with no fixed route or schedule.

They're also remarkably affordable, typically costing VT$150 for most journeys.

Learn more about getting around in our Vanuatu Transport Guide: Buses, Taxis & More.

If you're looking for an incredibly budget-friendly way to travel between Efate (the main island) and the outer islands, we highly recommend taking the ferries.

The Vanuatu Ferry/Big Sista offers inter-island connections with routes to Malekula for around VT$9,900 for adults, and to Santo (Espiritu Santo) for around VT$12,200.

For an even more budget-friendly option, cargo boats provide a basic, slow, overnight experience; a ride to Malekula from Santo might cost as little as VT$2,000, though this is quite a basic experience.

For all the details on schedules, booking and what to expect onboard, check out The Guide to Taking the Ferry in Vanuatu.

Here's something we've learned the hard way: baggage allowances in Vanuatu are surprisingly strict, and they can hit your wallet if you're not careful.

If you're flying domestically within Vanuatu without any international connections, you'll get 10 kg (22 lbs) for checked baggage. Eek!

The good news is that if you're travelling between Port Vila, Santo and Tanna on ATR-72 aircraft with connections to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia or Fiji, you might get 30 kg (66 lbs) of checked luggage.

Stick to these limits religiously. They're incredibly strict about enforcement, and you'll be looking at extra fees for an overweight bag or even more if you need to check an additional piece.

Our advice? Weigh your bags before you leave home and pack light. And remember, carry-on is strictly limited to 5 kg per passenger across all Air Vanuatu domestic flights.

The internet is not something to take for granted in Vanuatu. Apart from a few limited situations that we list in How to Get Internet & WiFi in Vanuatu LINK#TT023, you often have to pay for WiFi.

Most of the time, it isn't good and it isn't cheap.

If you plan on keeping connected for your whole trip, you'll save money and have a more reliable connection if you connect to the internet using a local SIM card. The local phone networks also hire out portable modems if you need to connect alternative devices or your phone isn't compatible with the local frequency.

Learn more about getting connected with our complete guide, The Best SIM Card in Vanuatu for Travellers.

The highlights of Vanuatu are not helicopter rides, skydiving or spa treatments (although the latter is actually quite affordable spa treatments in Port Vila LINK#TTD109), but its natural wonders.

Discovering waterfalls, blue holes, World War Two sites and cultural villages doesn't demand too much from your wallet, even if you need to pay entry fees, as is customary in Vanuatu. Fill your time sightseeing instead of doing costly activities and you're sure to save big!

For a list of affordable attractions and experiences, in which we state what's free and what's not, take a look at the 50 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Vanuatu LINK#TTD071.

You'll love eating out at the affordable cafés, restaurants and takeaways we've discovered during our visits to Vanuatu. We've listed all our favourite budget-friendly spots in our cheap eats guide LINK#TTD049!

From what we've experienced, most of the best local finds and street food gems are covered in our cheap eats article LINK#TTD049, so if you're planning to dine out, this guide will definitely help you save money whilst discovering some local flavours.

Whatever you do, don’t waste money (and kill the environment) by buying bottles of water throughout your trip.

If you know you’re staying at an accommodation with filtered drinking water, have a few reusable water bottles to refill at the resort before you head out.

Alternatively, we highly recommend using a water purification bottle, such as Lifestraw, which removes 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of parasites from water. That way, you can refill the bottle from any tap water you come across.

We’ve used ours right across the South Pacific with no issues!

For more tips on having access to water, check out Is the Water Safe to Drink in Vanuatu?

The more people you travel with, the more savings you’re likely to make!

Whether it’s splitting the cost of a holiday home rental, car rental, taxi (or truck) fares LINK#T038 or even doing a boat charter LINK#TTD138, there are certainly more savings to be made as a tribe.

Before we conclude this list of money-saving tips, we can't forget to mention how you can save money on your trip to Vanuatu by saving on your flight to Vanuatu!

There are multiple airlines and routes for getting to the islands, connecting in either Fiji, Australia or New Zealand, so be sure to compare all of your options following the advice in Getting Here: How to Get to Vanuatu and Which Airlines Fly Directly to Vanuatu?

As an extra tip for those parking at the airport before departing for Vanuatu, be sure to compare third-party park-and-ride companies rather than just paying at the official airport car park. They are usually significantly cheaper!

If you've made it all the way to this point on this list of tips to save money in Vanuatu, then you probably don't need this tip but we'll tell you anyway… Doing your research about Vanuatu before you travel ensures that you're staying in the best-value accommodation, getting the best deals on activities, and making your dollars stretch further thanks to the money-saving tips we offer here at Vanuatu Pocket Guide!

Head to The Backpacking & Budget Travel Guide to Vanuatu LINK#TT061 for more ways to shave the costs.