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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,162 in Port Vila versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,309 in Port Vila versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,456 in Port Vila versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Port Vila is roughly 27% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Vila 130% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 VUV 1,446

$18.39 €15.81

-31.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 VUV 6,626

$69.2 €59.5

-16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.58 VUV 1,681

$14.13 €12.15

3.18%

Cappuccino

$4.14 VUV 477

$3.13 €2.69

32.27%

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

$2.27 VUV 261

$3.02 €2.59

-24.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 282

$1.96 €1.69

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 VUV 573

$4.00 €3.44

24.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 VUV 810

$4.76 €4.09

47.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 VUV 316

$1.25 €1.07

119.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 VUV 217

$2.16 €1.86

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 VUV 422

$1.69 €1.45

116.57%

Eggs

$6.35 VUV 731

$4.93 €4.24

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.86 VUV 2,058

$17.88 €15.37

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 VUV 1,864

$9.61 €8.26

68.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 VUV 1,605

$19.34 €16.63

-27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 VUV 802

$3.24 €2.78

114.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 VUV 246

$2.18 €1.87

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 456

$2.67 €2.30

47.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.34 VUV 1,076

$2.77 €2.38

237.18%

Potato (1kg)

$8.81 VUV 1,015

$2.21 €1.90

298.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 VUV 403

$2.19 €1.88

59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 VUV 285

$1.52 €1.31

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 VUV 140

$0.92 €0.79

31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 VUV 1,059

$7.12 €6.12

29.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 VUV 1,458

$8.14 €6.99

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 VUV 279

$1.50 €1.29

62.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 VUV 316

$2.78 €2.39

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 VUV 145

$3.15 €2.71

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 VUV 7,872

$26.99 €23.21

153.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$3.25 €2.79

-21.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 VUV 92.1

$1.50 €1.29

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 598

$34.89 €30.00

-85.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 VUV 201

$1.75 €1.50

-0.57%

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

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

$36.7K €31.5K

-36.98%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.4M

$30.9K €26.6K

24.46%

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

$635 VUV 73.1K

$188 €161

238.21%

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

$22.76 VUV 2,623

$15.44 €13.27

47.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.2K

$37.80 €32.49

869.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 VUV 7,787

$57.2 €49.16

18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.59 VUV 1,912

$16.80 €14.44

-1.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

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

$630 VUV 72.6K

$1,003 €862

-37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,806 VUV 784.3K

$17.0K €14.6K

-60.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.39 VUV 4,886

$89.2 €76.7

-52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 VUV 7,876

$40.87 €35.14

67.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 VUV 9,544

$110 €94.5

-24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 VUV 11.9K

$123 €105

-15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 VUV 179.3K

$1,673 €1,438

-7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 VUV 132.2K

$1,331 €1,145

-13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,423 VUV 394.5K

$2,596 €2,232

31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 VUV 218.8K

$1,950 €1,676

-2.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,073 VUV 699.8K

$7,573 €6,511

-19.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,260 VUV 260.4K

$5,370 €4,617

-57.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$700 VUV 80.7K

$2,402 €2,065

-70.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.16

95.57%

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

Last update for Port Vila: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,556 in Port Vila and $1,673 in Barcelona. 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: $57.0 in Port Vila vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $473 vs $332, 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

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

Port Vila and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,162 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 243% 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: $1,556 in Port Vila versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $630 in Port Vila versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 27% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.