Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Kingston and in Barcelona: $2,297 and $2,381 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kingston
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,297
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingston and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Kingston versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • Kingston $2,297
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Kingston versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • Kingston $3,179
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,062 in Kingston versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • Kingston $4,062
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in Kingston costs roughly 4% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 70% above, Barcelona 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.68 CA$22.16
$17.89 €15.92
-12.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.5 CA$89.8
$66.2 €58.9
-3.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.52 CA$14.87
$13.69 €12.18
-23.16%
Cappuccino
$3.51 CA$4.96
$3.06 €2.72
14.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.96
$3.07 €2.73
-31.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 CA$1.85
$1.94 €1.73
-32.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.65 CA$7.98
$3.87 €3.44
45.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.19 CA$8.75
$4.61 €4.10
34.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 CA$3.18
$1.30 €1.16
73.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.62 CA$3.70
$2.10 €1.87
24.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.00 CA$4.24
$1.83 €1.62
63.93%
Eggs
$2.93 CA$4.14
$4.62 €4.11
-36.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.43 CA$14.75
$17.36 €15.44
-39.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.77 CA$16.63
$9.28 €8.25
26.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.35 CA$16.04
$19.83 €17.64
-42.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 CA$4.21
$3.01 €2.68
-1.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 CA$1.64
$2.03 €1.81
-42.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 CA$4.92
$2.65 €2.36
31.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 CA$5.37
$2.87 €2.55
32.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 CA$4.21
$2.16 €1.92
37.96%
Onion (1kg)
$2.53 CA$3.57
$2.15 €1.91
17.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 CA$3.03
$1.47 €1.31
46.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.27
$0.88 €0.79
81.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.24 CA$20.13
$6.93 €6.16
105.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.74 CA$18.01
$7.83 €6.96
62.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 CA$3.17
$1.39 €1.24
61.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 CA$4.21
$2.63 €2.34
13.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.44 CA$3.44
$2.91 €2.59
-16.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.8 CA$81.7
$25.46 €22.64
127.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.35 CA$4.74
$3.00 €2.66
11.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 CA$1.99
$1.44 €1.28
-2.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.42 CA$45.84
$33.20 €29.53
-2.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 CA$1.59
$1.86 €1.65
-39.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.5K
$32.3K €28.8K
-13.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$29.5K
$31.7K €28.2K
-34.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 CA$184
$183 €163
-28.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.13 CA$55.3
$13.61 €12.11
187.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.6 CA$87.1
$32.93 €29.29
87.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.11 CA$41.16
$54.7 €48.65
-46.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.76 CA$12.38
$16.52 €14.70
-46.97%
Cinema Ticket
$10.66 CA$15.07
$11.23 €9.99
-5.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$742
$954 €849
-44.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.6K €14.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 CA$75.5
$86.0 €76.5
-37.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.73 CA$44.86
$39.11 €34.78
-18.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.4 CA$111
$104 €92.2
-24.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.8 CA$116
$119 €106
-31.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,512 CA$2,137
$1,695 €1,508
-10.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 CA$1,751
$1,276 €1,135
-2.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,329 CA$3,293
$2,576 €2,291
-9.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,684 CA$2,380
$1,922 €1,710
-12.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,402 CA$4,810
$7,281 €6,477
-53.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,433 CA$3,439
$5,010 €4,456
-51.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kingston
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,099 CA$4,382
$2,227 €1,981
39.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
3.28
40.55%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kingston
$1.2K
Barcelona
$1.3K 3.1% $38
Groceries & Markets
Kingston
$336
Barcelona
$325 3.2% $11
Eating Out
Kingston
$253
Barcelona
$270 6.4% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston
$231
Barcelona
$229 0.7% $1.6
Clothing & Footwear
Kingston
$110
Barcelona
$156 41.6% $46
Getting Around
Kingston
$78
Barcelona
$47 39.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Kingston
$50
Barcelona
$77 53% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,512 in Kingston and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Kingston vs $66.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $325, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Kingston
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
22:30 10:30 PM
04:30 4:30 AM
6 h ahead of Kingston
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
123,363
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kingston Barcelona 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kingston
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Kingston vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kingston and in Barcelona?
Kingston and Barcelona differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,297 vs $2,381 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Kingston or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 39% higher in Kingston, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Kingston and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,512 in Kingston versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kingston and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $525 in Kingston versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,297 in Kingston versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $3,000 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.
How does quality of life compare between Kingston and Barcelona?
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.
Is Kingston or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kingston and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Kingston or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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