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: $2,983 in Port Vila versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,058 in Port Vila versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,134 in Port Vila versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Port Vila is roughly 35% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Vila 123% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 VUV 1,282

$15.91 €13.69

-29.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 VUV 7,426

$64.8 €55.7

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 VUV 1,131

$10.51 €9.04

-6.47%

Cappuccino

$5.25 VUV 604

$2.87 €2.47

82.93%

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

$2.15 VUV 247

$2.24 €1.93

-4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 VUV 200

$1.50 €1.29

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 VUV 508

$3.49 €3.00

26.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 VUV 486

$3.88 €3.34

9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 VUV 257

$1.14 €0.98

95.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 VUV 288

$1.75 €1.51

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 VUV 452

$1.76 €1.51

123.30%

Eggs

$5.18 VUV 596

$3.22 €2.77

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.04 VUV 2,306

$13.49 €11.61

48.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.57 VUV 2,137

$7.91 €6.81

134.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 VUV 2,094

$15.87 €13.65

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 VUV 536

$2.31 €1.99

101.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VUV 236

$1.70 €1.46

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 VUV 694

$2.01 €1.73

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 VUV 284

$2.46 €2.12

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$4.40 VUV 506

$1.84 €1.59

139.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 VUV 251

$2.00 €1.72

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 VUV 296

$1.93 €1.66

33.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 VUV 122

$0.79 €0.68

34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 VUV 1,089

$6.61 €5.68

43.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 VUV 1,432

$5.72 €4.92

117.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 VUV 340

$1.37 €1.17

115.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 338

$2.97 €2.56

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 VUV 198

$2.37 €2.04

-27.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 VUV 7,826

$45.56 €39.19

49.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 VUV 246

$4.29 €3.69

-50.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 94.9

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 VUV 587

$18.30 €15.74

-72.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 VUV 217

$2.06 €1.78

-8.25%

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

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

-32.61%

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

$38.6K VUV 4.4M

$39.3K €33.8K

-1.87%

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

$531 VUV 61.1K

$148 €127

259.04%

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

$25.37 VUV 2,921

$20.52 €17.65

23.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$227 VUV 26.2K

$39.61 €34.08

473.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 VUV 1,948

$18.92 €16.28

-10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 VUV 1,463

$9.18 €7.90

38.45%

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

$624 VUV 71.8K

$614 €528

1.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,796 VUV 782.2K

$16.0K €13.8K

-57.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.92 VUV 5,286

$105 €90.0

-56.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 VUV 7,851

$42.06 €36.18

62.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 VUV 216.6K

$1,628 €1,400

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 VUV 160.2K

$1,255 €1,080

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,353 VUV 385.9K

$3,030 €2,607

10.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 VUV 239.8K

$2,020 €1,738

3.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,040 VUV 695.3K

$7,800 €6,709

-22.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 VUV 263.7K

$4,273 €3,675

-46.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 VUV 80.2K

$1,603 €1,379

-56.57%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,882 in Port Vila and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 130% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Port Vila vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $269, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila and Lisbon differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,983 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 130% less. 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: $1,882 in Port Vila versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Port Vila versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% 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 35% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.