Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Vila and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Vila and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,148 in Port Vila versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Port Vila $3,148
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,290 in Port Vila versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Port Vila $4,290
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,432 in Port Vila versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Port Vila $5,432
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Port Vila is roughly 31% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Vila 133% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 VUV 1,474

$17.94 €15.96

-29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,558

$68.1 €60.5

-17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.47 VUV 1,697

$13.28 €11.81

8.96%

Cappuccino

$3.99 VUV 468

$3.25 €2.89

22.77%

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

$2.30 VUV 270

$3.01 €2.67

-23.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 VUV 276

$1.87 €1.66

25.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 VUV 603

$3.85 €3.42

33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 VUV 839

$4.48 €3.98

59.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 VUV 320

$1.29 €1.15

111.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 VUV 231

$2.04 €1.81

-3.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 VUV 426

$1.72 €1.53

111.05%

Eggs

$6.30 VUV 739

$4.77 €4.24

32.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 VUV 2,061

$16.77 €14.92

4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 VUV 1,947

$8.93 €7.94

85.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 VUV 1,604

$19.88 €17.68

-31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 VUV 837

$2.98 €2.65

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 VUV 252

$2.03 €1.80

5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 VUV 453

$2.73 €2.43

41.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.44 VUV 1,107

$2.68 €2.38

252.24%

Potato (1kg)

$9.13 VUV 1,071

$2.10 €1.87

334.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 VUV 407

$2.08 €1.85

66.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 VUV 303

$1.45 €1.29

77.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 VUV 140

$0.89 €0.79

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 VUV 1,063

$6.94 €6.17

30.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 VUV 1,467

$7.78 €6.92

60.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 287

$1.45 €1.29

68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 VUV 316

$2.57 €2.29

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 VUV 151

$2.99 €2.66

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 VUV 8,052

$25.20 €22.41

172.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 VUV 302

$3.12 €2.77

-17.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 VUV 103

$1.44 €1.28

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 609

$33.50 €29.80

-84.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 VUV 206

$1.79 €1.59

-1.68%

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

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

$34.6K €30.8K

-34.06%

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

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

$30.1K €26.7K

26.17%

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

$636 VUV 74.6K

$178 €158

257.41%

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

$22.30 VUV 2,615

$13.32 €11.85

67.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$362 VUV 42.4K

$34.88 €31.03

936.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,936

$53.3 €47.37

27.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 VUV 1,986

$16.01 €14.24

5.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

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

$631 VUV 74.0K

$957 €851

-34.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

$16.6K €14.7K

-57.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.45 VUV 4,862

$88.2 €78.4

-52.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 VUV 7,856

$39.49 €35.12

69.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

$103 €91.5

-16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 VUV 12.0K

$121 €108

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

$1,653 €1,470

-6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

$1,302 €1,158

-14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

$2,557 €2,275

33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

$1,915 €1,703

-1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

$7,286 €6,481

-18.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

$5,080 €4,519

-57.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 VUV 79.5K

$2,281 €2,029

-70.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.28

88.41%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 16.3% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.4%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 77.8% $793

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$476 15.1%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 32.8% $156

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 7.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.2%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 18.6% $25

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Barcelona

$47 2% 41.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 11.4% $7.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,549 in Port Vila and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 236% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Port Vila vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $476 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

9 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to VUV – Vanuatu Vatu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Vatu (Vt)

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Vila Barcelona 17,070 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Port Vila and Barcelona differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,148 vs $2,399 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 236% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,549 in Port Vila versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Port Vila versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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, Port Vila and Barcelona 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 31% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.