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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Kingston 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$7.46 JMD 1,176

136.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$61.7 JMD 9,720

12.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$8.58 JMD 1,352

65.03%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.39 JMD 692

-36.22%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.33 JMD 209

111.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.74 JMD 117

178.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.43 JMD 383

89.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.10 JMD 489

51.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$4.33 JMD 682

-71.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.49 JMD 551

-41.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.64 JMD 258

20.73%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.61 JMD 568

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$11.20 JMD 1,765

63.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$6.45 JMD 1,016

52.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$7.82 JMD 1,232

144.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$5.99 JMD 945

-54.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.98 JMD 470

-20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.21 JMD 663

-50.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.90 JMD 457

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.02 JMD 319

-2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.00 JMD 315

-10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.01 JMD 475

-50.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.51 JMD 238

-39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$11.47 JMD 1,808

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.78 JMD 438

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.04 JMD 480

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.81 JMD 128

271.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.09 JMD 171

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.22 JMD 507

-33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$6.34 JMD 999

366.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.24 JMD 196

46.77%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-12.80%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-5.03%

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

$189 €165

$161 JMD 25.3K

17.56%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$22.24 JMD 3,504

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-28.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-15.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$15.91 JMD 2,508

29.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-18.76%

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

$706 €617

$222 JMD 35.0K

217.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

487.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$25.81 JMD 4,068

246.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$25.49 JMD 4,017

43.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

46.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$880 JMD 138.6K

79.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$451 JMD 71.2K

174.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

162.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

143.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$732 JMD 115.4K

222.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.15

-62.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 223% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $351, 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

Barcelona vs Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kingston differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,482 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 223% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 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 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.