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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,983 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,058 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $5,134 in Port Vila.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 21% less than in Port Vila, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Port Vila 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$11.14 VUV 1,281

57.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$64.5 VUV 7,420

6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.83 VUV 1,130

43.03%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.25 VUV 603

-47.05%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.15 VUV 247

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.74 VUV 200

18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.42 VUV 508

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.23 VUV 486

8.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.23 VUV 257

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.50 VUV 288

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.93 VUV 452

-51.15%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$5.18 VUV 596

-36.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$20.04 VUV 2,304

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$18.57 VUV 2,136

-48.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$18.19 VUV 2,092

5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.66 VUV 536

-43.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.05 VUV 236

19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$6.03 VUV 694

-64.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.47 VUV 284

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$4.40 VUV 506

-53.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.18 VUV 251

-15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.57 VUV 296

-42.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.06 VUV 121

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$9.46 VUV 1,088

-24.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$12.44 VUV 1,431

-36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.95 VUV 340

-53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.94 VUV 338

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.72 VUV 198

73.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$68.0 VUV 7,820

-56.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.14 VUV 246

114.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.82 VUV 94.8

152.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$5.10 VUV 587

472.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.89 VUV 217

-2.65%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

68.88%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$38.6K VUV 4.4M

-15.20%

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

$188 €162

$531 VUV 61.1K

-64.62%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$25.37 VUV 2,918

-9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$227 VUV 26.2K

-83.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$16.92 VUV 1,947

22.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.71 VUV 1,462

-11.96%

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

$721 €621

$624 VUV 71.8K

15.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,796 VUV 781.6K

121.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.92 VUV 5,282

87.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$68.2 VUV 7,844

-45.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,882 VUV 216.4K

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,392 VUV 160.1K

-12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$3,353 VUV 385.6K

-19.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$2,083 VUV 239.6K

-3.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$6,040 VUV 694.8K

19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,291 VUV 263.5K

126.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$696 VUV 80.1K

238.83%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,882 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 239% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Port Vila. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $449, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,983 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 239% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,882 in Port Vila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $624 in Port Vila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 26% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.