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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,243 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,094 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,944 in Portmore.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Portmore is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$10.22 JMD 1,602

83.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$62.2 JMD 9,744

11.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$8.98 JMD 1,408

53.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.19 JMD 814

-40.27%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.92 JMD 144

207.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.65 JMD 102

189.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.17 JMD 341

83.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.18 JMD 341

107.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.10 JMD 486

-59.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.55 JMD 556

-39.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.00 JMD 156

76.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.48 JMD 545

47.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$11.36 JMD 1,780

57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.46 JMD 1,012

49.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$9.35 JMD 1,465

115.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$6.05 JMD 948

-46.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.94 JMD 618

-43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.93 JMD 460

-11.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.00 JMD 470

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$3.18 JMD 498

-30.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.60 JMD 407

-18.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.57 JMD 247

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.24 JMD 195

-23.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$9.26 JMD 1,451

-20.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.47 JMD 1,797

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.93 JMD 459

-47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.16 JMD 338

29.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.35 JMD 368

32.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$51.3 JMD 8,042

-49.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.99 JMD 156

230.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.23 JMD 506

-54.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$6.21 JMD 973

451.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.27 JMD 199

36.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$44.9K JMD 7.0M

-19.08%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.4K JMD 5.2M

-8.65%

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

$187 €163

$161 JMD 25.3K

16.00%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$29.50 JMD 4,623

-48.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$53.6 JMD 8,401

-29.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$59.6 JMD 9,343

-6.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$13.54 JMD 2,122

-15.73%

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

$997 €868

$284 JMD 44.6K

250.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,108 JMD 487.1K

431.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$23.31 JMD 3,654

297.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$32.31 JMD 5,064

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$77.9 JMD 12.2K

42.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$94.4 JMD 14.8K

32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$313 JMD 49.1K

445.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$219 JMD 34.3K

488.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$659 JMD 103.2K

289.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$607 JMD 95.1K

219.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$7,565 JMD 1.2M

1.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$5,760 JMD 902.8K

-10.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,294 JMD 202.8K

81.45%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Portmore: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $313 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 81% 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 $62.0 in Portmore. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $337, 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Portmore differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,243 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $313 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $284 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,243 in Portmore versus $2,476 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 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.