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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 63% more expensive than Kingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Kingston 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.61 JMD 1,192

131.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$62.0 JMD 9,707

10.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.80 JMD 1,379

59.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.36 JMD 682

-36.24%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.32 JMD 207

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.74 JMD 117

178.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.57 JMD 403

73.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.20 JMD 501

44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$4.36 JMD 684

-71.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.66 JMD 573

-44.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.57 JMD 246

22.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.47 JMD 543

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.19 JMD 1,754

64.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.42 JMD 1,007

47.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.82 JMD 1,225

145.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.96 JMD 933

-55.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.13 JMD 491

-21.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$4.30 JMD 673

-50.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.96 JMD 464

-3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.03 JMD 317

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.01 JMD 315

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$3.12 JMD 489

-52.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.45 JMD 227

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.29 JMD 1,769

-30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.90 JMD 454

-52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.20 JMD 502

-27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.89 JMD 140

234.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-39.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.12 JMD 176

310.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.15 JMD 494

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.19 JMD 971

371.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.28 JMD 201

43.75%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-9.67%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-3.18%

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

$188 €162

$163 JMD 25.5K

15.35%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$22.49 JMD 3,523

1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-17.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.50 JMD 2,428

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-13.39%

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

$721 €620

$222 JMD 34.8K

224.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

513.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$25.73 JMD 4,032

235.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$25.24 JMD 3,955

46.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$880 JMD 137.9K

74.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$451 JMD 70.7K

170.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

67.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

152.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

136.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$732 JMD 114.7K

222.24%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 222% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $353, 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 63% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,451 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 222% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,451 in Kingston versus $2,367 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 63% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.