Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,286 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,230 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,173 in Kingston.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than Kingston, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Kingston 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$16.72 CA$22.91

5.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$74.2 CA$102

-8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$11.28 CA$15.46

23.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.69 CA$5.06

-25.20%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.90 CA$2.60

45.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.44 CA$1.97

36.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.04 CA$8.28

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.45 CA$8.83

-29.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.58 CA$3.53

-51.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.54 CA$3.47

-19.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$4.17 CA$5.71

-54.20%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$2.91 CA$3.99

16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$10.68 CA$14.63

71.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$11.42 CA$15.64

-17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$11.41 CA$15.63

65.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.56 CA$4.87

-26.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.32 CA$1.80

81.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$4.01 CA$5.50

-47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$4.86 CA$6.66

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$3.54 CA$4.85

-42.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.41 CA$3.30

-26.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.97 CA$4.07

-50.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.62 CA$2.22

-43.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$13.87 CA$19.00

-49.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$12.45 CA$17.06

-39.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.29 CA$3.13

-37.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.30 CA$4.53

-29.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.52 CA$3.46

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$58.0 CA$79.5

-49.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.27 CA$4.48

38.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.57 CA$2.16

36.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$32.56 CA$44.60

-11.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.08 CA$1.49

75.00%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$24.6K CA$33.7K

58.60%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$21.4K CA$29.3K

51.89%

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

$189 €161

$130 CA$178

45.45%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$44.36 CA$60.8

-49.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$78.7 CA$108

-53.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$32.36 CA$44.33

79.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$9.29 CA$12.73

129.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$11.18 CA$15.32

-1.52%

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

$731 €622

$446 CA$611

63.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.7K CA$16.0K

26.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$46.10 CA$63.2

93.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$35.95 CA$49.25

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$95.1 CA$130

10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$92.3 CA$126

26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,289 CA$1,766

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$1,189 CA$1,630

2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,130 CA$2,918

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,679 CA$2,301

19.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,450 CA$4,726

107.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,513 CA$3,443

99.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,086 CA$4,228

-20.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.69

-49.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,289 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $74 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $359 per month, with Barcelona 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

Barcelona vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kingston differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,286 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kingston earns 25% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,289 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $446 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,286 in Kingston versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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, Barcelona and Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.