This paper presents a cultural algorithm based technique to achieve the optimal size and placement of Static Var Compensators (SVCs) in a power system. A multiobjective reactive power problem is chosen here to establish the feasibility of the algorithm. Two objective functions are proposed for reducing the SVC investment cost while minimizing the active power loss but maintaining voltage stability. The complexity of the multiobjective problem is solved using Pareto optimization. The results of IEEE 30-bus test system show that the proposed algorithm gives a lower power loss and greater voltage stability in comparison to base value.