Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Port Vila Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Port Vila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,980 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $4,025 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $5,070 in Port Vila.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 22% less than in Port Vila, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Port Vila 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$11.23 VUV 1,310

57.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$64.2 VUV 7,487

8.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.37 VUV 1,093

51.12%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.06 VUV 591

-44.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$2.18 VUV 254

28.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.69 VUV 197

21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.42 VUV 516

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.19 VUV 489

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.22 VUV 259

-44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.48 VUV 289

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.85 VUV 449

-48.57%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$5.19 VUV 605

-32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$20.31 VUV 2,368

-9.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$18.40 VUV 2,146

-46.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$18.41 VUV 2,147

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.82 VUV 562

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.09 VUV 244

13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$6.08 VUV 709

-65.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.55 VUV 297

7.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$4.24 VUV 495

-53.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.08 VUV 243

-13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.59 VUV 302

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.05 VUV 123

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.99 VUV 1,049

-20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.67 VUV 1,478

-37.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.99 VUV 349

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.02 VUV 352

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.69 VUV 198

78.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$66.6 VUV 7,773

-55.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.15 VUV 251

102.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.82 VUV 96.0

159.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$5.04 VUV 588

487.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.85 VUV 216

-1.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.5K VUV 2.7M

61.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$38.0K VUV 4.4M

-14.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$542 VUV 63.2K

-65.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$24.94 VUV 2,909

-10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$226 VUV 26.4K

-83.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$16.52 VUV 1,926

25.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.55 VUV 1,464

-13.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

$620 VUV 72.3K

13.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,934 VUV 808.8K

114.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$46.05 VUV 5,371

94.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$67.3 VUV 7,854

-45.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,894 VUV 220.9K

-16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$1,412 VUV 164.7K

-12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$3,379 VUV 394.2K

-19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$2,063 VUV 240.6K

-1.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$6,092 VUV 710.6K

23.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,199 VUV 256.5K

138.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$689 VUV 80.4K

243.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-51.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,894 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 243% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $64.0 in Port Vila. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $451, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Port Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Port Vila differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,980 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 243% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,894 in Port Vila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $620 in Port Vila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,980 in Port Vila, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Port Vila. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Port Vila are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.