Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vung Tau Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vung Tau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $615 in Vung Tau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $999 in Vung Tau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,383 in Vung Tau.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 296% more expensive than in Vung Tau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Vung Tau is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$1.89 ₫49.2K

894.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$15.16 ₫395.6K

358.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$3.81 ₫99.4K

269.55%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$1.81 ₫47.2K

72.38%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.40 ₫10.5K

627.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.31 ₫7,977

503.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$0.74 ₫19.3K

440.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$1.06 ₫27.7K

337.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.32 ₫34.6K

-9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.07 ₫27.9K

99.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$0.89 ₫23.3K

106.74%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.54 ₫40.2K

233.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$4.66 ₫121.6K

251.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$3.68 ₫96.1K

163.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$9.73 ₫253.8K

101.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$3.08 ₫80.3K

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.22 ₫31.9K

78.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.68 ₫17.7K

261.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.19 ₫31.2K

132.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.13 ₫29.4K

87.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.14 ₫29.8K

95.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.59 ₫15.3K

152.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.46 ₫12.0K

97.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$1.20 ₫31.3K

505.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$11.93 ₫311.5K

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.81 ₫21.1K

90.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$0.96 ₫24.9K

179.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.69 ₫17.9K

384.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.56 ₫14.5K

235.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$1.12 ₫29.3K

3023.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.86 ₫22.5K

102.33%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$29.9K ₫781.4M

21.95%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$29.7K ₫775.8M

6.02%

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

$183 €156

$47.32 ₫1.2M

286.41%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$6.03 ₫157.5K

160.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$8.01 ₫208.9K

358.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$16.76 ₫437.4K

219.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$9.20 ₫240.1K

86.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$3.41 ₫88.9K

237.54%

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

$952 €815

$115 ₫3.0M

726.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$9,741 ₫254.2M

66.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$20.63 ₫538.5K

299.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$19.46 ₫507.8K

107.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$92.0 ₫2.4M

17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$66.5 ₫1.7M

88.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$291 ₫7.6M

472.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$200 ₫5.2M

544.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$739 ₫19.3M

260.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$498 ₫13.0M

282.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$7,444 ₫194.3M

0.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$4,333 ₫113.1M

19.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$583 ₫15.2M

320.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

8.64

-63.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Vung Tau: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $291 in Vung Tau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 320% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Vung Tau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $170 per month, with Vung Tau cheaper across the board.

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 Vung Tau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Vung Tau differ by about 296% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $615 including rent). Vung Tau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 320% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $291 in Vung Tau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $115 in Vung Tau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vung Tau – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $615 in Vung Tau versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vung Tau but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 296% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.