Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Vila and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,148 in Port Vila versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Port Vila $3,148
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,290 in Port Vila versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Port Vila $4,290
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,432 in Port Vila versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Port Vila $5,432
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Port Vila is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Vila 133% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 VUV 1,474

$16.50 €14.67

-23.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 VUV 6,558

$61.3 €54.5

-8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.47 VUV 1,697

$11.27 €10.03

28.39%

Cappuccino

$3.99 VUV 468

$3.06 €2.72

30.39%

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

$2.30 VUV 270

$2.26 €2.01

1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 VUV 276

$1.73 €1.54

35.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 VUV 603

$3.39 €3.02

51.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 VUV 839

$3.40 €3.02

110.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 VUV 320

$1.12 €1.00

143.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 VUV 231

$1.86 €1.65

5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 VUV 426

$1.53 €1.36

137.25%

Eggs

$6.30 VUV 739

$3.96 €3.53

59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 VUV 2,061

$12.76 €11.35

37.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 VUV 1,947

$7.90 €7.02

110.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 VUV 1,604

$16.97 €15.09

-19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 VUV 837

$2.27 €2.02

214.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 VUV 252

$1.75 €1.55

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 VUV 453

$1.85 €1.64

108.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.44 VUV 1,107

$2.57 €2.28

267.32%

Potato (1kg)

$9.13 VUV 1,071

$1.86 €1.65

390.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 VUV 407

$2.02 €1.80

71.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 VUV 303

$1.44 €1.28

79.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 VUV 140

$0.82 €0.73

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 VUV 1,063

$6.56 €5.83

38.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 VUV 1,467

$5.62 €5.00

122.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 VUV 287

$1.28 €1.14

91.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 VUV 316

$2.07 €1.84

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 VUV 151

$2.35 €2.09

-45.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 VUV 8,052

$44.18 €39.30

55.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 VUV 302

$3.99 €3.55

-35.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 VUV 103

$1.09 €0.97

-19.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 VUV 609

$16.64 €14.81

-68.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 VUV 206

$2.28 €2.03

-22.81%

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

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

$33.7K €30.0K

-32.18%

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

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

$39.3K €35.0K

-3.44%

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

$636 VUV 74.6K

$167 €149

279.52%

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

$22.30 VUV 2,615

$18.80 €16.72

18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$362 VUV 42.4K

$33.09 €29.43

992.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 VUV 7,936

$46.01 €40.93

47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 VUV 1,986

$19.19 €17.07

-11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$631 VUV 74.0K

$677 €602

-6.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

$16.9K €15.1K

-58.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.45 VUV 4,862

$101 €90.1

-59.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 VUV 7,856

$45.76 €40.70

46.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

$100.0 €88.9

-14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 VUV 12.0K

$123 €109

-16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

$1,614 €1,436

-4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

$1,197 €1,065

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

$2,862 €2,545

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

$1,990 €1,770

-5.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

$7,577 €6,740

-21.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

$4,307 €3,831

-49.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 VUV 79.5K

$1,588 €1,412

-57.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.85

60.52%

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

Last update for Port Vila: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 6.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Vila

$1K 32.4%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 78.5% $800

Groceries & Markets

Port Vila

$476 15.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 43.4% $207

Eating Out

Port Vila

$250 8%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 3.3% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Port Vila

$134 4.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 24.6% $33

Getting Around

Port Vila

$81 2.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 22% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 2.9% $2

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 $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 134% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $476 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

08:39 8:39 AM

10 h behind Port Vila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,039 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 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 Lisbon 17,670 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Vila
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila and Lisbon differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($3,148 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 134% 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: $1,549 in Port Vila versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Port Vila versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Port Vila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,148 in Port Vila, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Port Vila. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, 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 42% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.