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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Port Vila is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 VUV 1,307

$16.19 €14.17

-30.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 VUV 7,473

$63.3 €55.4

1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 VUV 1,091

$10.32 €9.03

-9.21%

Cappuccino

$5.06 VUV 590

$2.83 €2.48

78.80%

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

$2.18 VUV 253

$2.29 €2.00

-4.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 VUV 197

$1.58 €1.38

6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 VUV 515

$3.40 €2.98

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 VUV 488

$4.03 €3.52

3.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 VUV 258

$1.09 €0.95

103.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 VUV 289

$1.75 €1.53

41.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 VUV 448

$1.76 €1.54

118.75%

Eggs

$5.19 VUV 604

$3.17 €2.77

63.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 VUV 2,364

$13.19 €11.54

53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.40 VUV 2,142

$7.97 €6.97

130.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 VUV 2,143

$15.53 €13.59

18.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 VUV 561

$2.37 €2.07

103.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 VUV 243

$1.71 €1.49

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 VUV 708

$2.01 €1.76

202.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 VUV 297

$2.43 €2.13

4.94%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 VUV 494

$1.76 €1.54

140.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 VUV 243

$2.03 €1.78

2.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 VUV 301

$1.92 €1.68

34.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 VUV 123

$0.85 €0.74

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 VUV 1,047

$6.58 €5.76

36.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 VUV 1,475

$5.58 €4.88

127.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 VUV 348

$1.33 €1.17

124.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 VUV 351

$2.97 €2.60

1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 VUV 197

$2.28 €1.99

-25.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 VUV 7,758

$45.79 €40.06

45.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 251

$4.23 €3.70

-49.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 95.8

$0.81 €0.71

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 VUV 587

$18.44 €16.13

-72.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 VUV 215

$2.08 €1.82

-11.06%

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

$23.5K VUV 2.7M

$34.7K €30.3K

-32.27%

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

$38.0K VUV 4.4M

$39.2K €34.3K

-2.87%

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

$542 VUV 63.1K

$148 €130

266.15%

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

$24.94 VUV 2,903

$20.46 €17.90

21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$226 VUV 26.3K

$39.56 €34.61

471.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 VUV 1,923

$18.60 €16.27

-11.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 VUV 1,461

$9.22 €8.07

36.12%

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

$620 VUV 72.1K

$616 €539

0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,934 VUV 807.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-57.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.05 VUV 5,361

$103 €89.9

-55.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.3 VUV 7,839

$41.74 €36.52

61.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 VUV 220.5K

$1,633 €1,428

16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 VUV 164.3K

$1,232 €1,078

14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 VUV 393.4K

$3,098 €2,711

9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 VUV 240.2K

$2,031 €1,777

1.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,092 VUV 709.2K

$7,831 €6,851

-22.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,199 VUV 256.0K

$4,389 €3,840

-49.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 VUV 80.2K

$1,607 €1,406

-57.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

83.73%

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

Last update for Port Vila: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,894 in Port Vila and $1,633 in Lisbon. 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: $64.0 in Port Vila vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $267 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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,894 in Port Vila versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Port Vila versus $616 in Lisbon. 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, Port Vila and Lisbon 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.