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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,980 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $4,025 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $5,070 in Port Vila.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 23% less than in Port Vila, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Port Vila 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.23 VUV 1,310

44.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$64.2 VUV 7,487

-1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.37 VUV 1,093

10.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$5.06 VUV 591

-44.07%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.18 VUV 254

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.69 VUV 197

-6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.42 VUV 516

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.19 VUV 489

-3.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.22 VUV 259

-50.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.48 VUV 289

-29.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.85 VUV 449

-54.29%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.19 VUV 605

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$20.31 VUV 2,368

-35.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$18.40 VUV 2,146

-56.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$18.41 VUV 2,147

-15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.82 VUV 562

-50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.09 VUV 244

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$6.08 VUV 709

-66.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.55 VUV 297

-4.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.24 VUV 495

-58.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.08 VUV 243

-2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.59 VUV 302

-25.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.05 VUV 123

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$8.99 VUV 1,049

-26.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.67 VUV 1,478

-55.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.99 VUV 349

-55.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.02 VUV 352

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.69 VUV 198

34.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$66.6 VUV 7,773

-31.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.15 VUV 251

96.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.82 VUV 96.0

-1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.04 VUV 588

265.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.85 VUV 216

12.43%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$23.5K VUV 2.7M

47.63%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$38.0K VUV 4.4M

2.95%

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

$148 €130

$542 VUV 63.2K

-72.69%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$24.94 VUV 2,909

-17.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$226 VUV 26.4K

-82.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$16.52 VUV 1,926

12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.55 VUV 1,464

-26.53%

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

$616 €540

$620 VUV 72.3K

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,934 VUV 808.8K

137.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.05 VUV 5,371

123.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$67.3 VUV 7,854

-38.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,894 VUV 220.9K

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$1,412 VUV 164.7K

-12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$3,379 VUV 394.2K

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$2,063 VUV 240.6K

-1.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$6,092 VUV 710.6K

28.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,199 VUV 256.5K

99.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$689 VUV 80.4K

133.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-45.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,894 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 133% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Port Vila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $451 per month, with Lisbon 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

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

Lisbon and Port Vila differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,980 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 133% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,894 in Port Vila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon 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 69% 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. Lisbon 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, Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.