Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Kingston versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Kingston costs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,513

$18.39 €15.86

-13.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$69.2 €59.7

7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,388

$14.13 €12.19

-37.65%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 823

$3.13 €2.70

66.77%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$3.02 €2.60

-60.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$1.96 €1.69

-64.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$4.00 €3.45

-45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$4.76 €4.11

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 639

$1.25 €1.08

224.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 589

$2.16 €1.87

73.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 261

$1.69 €1.45

-1.78%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 570

$4.93 €4.25

-26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,826

$17.88 €15.42

-35.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$9.61 €8.29

-35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,595

$19.34 €16.68

-47.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 964

$3.24 €2.79

88.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 629

$2.18 €1.88

83.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,179

$2.67 €2.30

180.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$2.77 €2.39

12.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 510

$2.21 €1.91

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$2.19 €1.89

20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.52 €1.31

98.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$0.92 €0.79

58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,534

$7.12 €6.14

36.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,785

$8.14 €7.02

39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$1.50 €1.29

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$2.78 €2.40

42.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$3.15 €2.72

-74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

$26.99 €23.28

43.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$3.25 €2.80

-62.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 496

$1.50 €1.29

109.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 970

$34.89 €30.10

-82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$1.75 €1.51

-22.29%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$36.7K €31.6K

19.17%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$30.9K €26.7K

4.73%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$188 €162

-8.39%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,675

$15.44 €13.32

92.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,278

$37.80 €32.60

38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,862

$57.2 €49.32

9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

$16.80 €14.49

6.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,103

$11.58 €9.99

15.28%

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

$367 JMD 57.8K

$1,003 €865

-63.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$17.0K €14.7K

-51.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,764

$89.2 €77.0

-73.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,020

$40.87 €35.25

-22.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$110 €94.9

-27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$123 €106

-16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 153.2K

$1,673 €1,443

-41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.7K

$1,331 €1,148

-57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

$2,596 €2,239

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

$1,950 €1,682

-26.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

$7,573 €6,532

-61.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

$5,370 €4,632

-61.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.3K

$2,402 €2,072

-68.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

3.16

199.05%

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

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $1,673 in Barcelona. 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: $74.0 in Kingston vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $332 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

Kingston vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston and Barcelona differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,684 vs $2,495 including rent). Kingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 217% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $972 in Kingston versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kingston versus $1,003 in Barcelona. 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, 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.

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.