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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$15.95 JMD 2,513

15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-6.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$8.81 JMD 1,388

60.39%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$5.22 JMD 823

-40.04%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.19 JMD 188

153.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.69 JMD 109

184.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$2.19 JMD 345

82.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$3.08 JMD 486

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$4.06 JMD 639

-69.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$3.74 JMD 589

-42.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.66 JMD 261

1.81%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$3.61 JMD 570

36.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$11.58 JMD 1,826

54.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$6.19 JMD 975

55.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$10.12 JMD 1,595

91.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$6.12 JMD 964

-47.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$3.99 JMD 629

-45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-64.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.11 JMD 491

-10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.23 JMD 510

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.64 JMD 416

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.01 JMD 474

-49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.46 JMD 231

-36.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-26.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$11.32 JMD 1,785

-28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.78 JMD 439

-46.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$3.96 JMD 625

-29.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$0.81 JMD 128

288.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$38.60 JMD 6,082

-30.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.23 JMD 193

164.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.14 JMD 496

-52.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$6.15 JMD 970

467.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 JMD 215

28.68%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-16.08%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-4.51%

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

$188 €162

$172 JMD 27.1K

9.16%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-47.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-28.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$62.6 JMD 9,862

-8.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$17.94 JMD 2,827

-6.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-13.26%

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

$1,003 €865

$367 JMD 57.8K

173.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

104.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$23.88 JMD 3,764

273.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$31.86 JMD 5,020

28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

38.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$102 JMD 16.1K

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$972 JMD 153.2K

72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$563 JMD 88.7K

136.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

35.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

160.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

161.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$757 JMD 119.3K

217.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

9.45

-66.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 217% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $384 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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,684 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 217% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,684 in Kingston versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 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 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.