Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,102 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,849 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,595 in Portmore.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 114% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Portmore is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.90

$4.80 JMD 755

257.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.1

$62.4 JMD 9,810

9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.85

$8.68 JMD 1,365

57.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.41 JMD 693

-36.96%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.63 JMD 98.7

347.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.50 JMD 78.9

292.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.85

$1.84 JMD 289

140.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.25 JMD 354

104.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.10 JMD 487

-59.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.55 JMD 558

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.02 JMD 160

95.10%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.58 JMD 563

-5.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.47

$10.86 JMD 1,707

74.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.28

$6.19 JMD 973

53.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.27

$7.48 JMD 1,175

150.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$5.91 JMD 929

-55.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.99 JMD 470

-21.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.88 JMD 453

-27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.04 JMD 478

-10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.10 JMD 330

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.92 JMD 302

-5.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.52 JMD 239

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.27 JMD 200

-29.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.89

$8.66 JMD 1,361

-21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.88

$11.16 JMD 1,754

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.80 JMD 440

-51.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.13 JMD 335

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.53

$1.59 JMD 250

83.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.90

$63.4 JMD 9,968

-54.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.98

$0.93 JMD 146

392.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.22 JMD 507

-36.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.95

$6.43 JMD 1,011

346.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.09 JMD 171

66.97%

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

$39.3K €34.2K

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

-7.18%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-3.31%

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

$187 €162

$156 JMD 24.6K

19.29%

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

$22.29 €19.37

$21.70 JMD 3,411

2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.60

$51.4 JMD 8,082

-29.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.98

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.02

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.36

$13.24 JMD 2,081

-18.66%

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

$725 €630

$227 JMD 35.6K

219.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

518.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.3

$25.67 JMD 4,035

242.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.98

$26.00 JMD 4,087

41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.8

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

45.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

53.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,324

$310 JMD 48.8K

391.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,066

$223 JMD 35.0K

450.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,370

$661 JMD 103.9K

312.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,724

$583 JMD 91.7K

240.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,489

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

-0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,555

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

-10.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,079

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

82.30%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $310 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 82% 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 Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $317 per month, with Portmore 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Portmore differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,102 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $310 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $227 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,102 in Portmore versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore 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 Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.