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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,086 in Portmore versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Portmore versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,572 in Portmore versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Portmore costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portmore is 19% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 JMD 754

$17.08 €14.72

-71.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,843

$69.2 €59.7

-9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,413

$13.78 €11.87

-34.76%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 691

$2.76 €2.37

59.06%

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

$0.63 JMD 99.8

$2.79 €2.40

-77.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 JMD 85.8

$1.99 €1.72

-72.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 JMD 303

$4.36 €3.76

-55.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 JMD 348

$4.74 €4.09

-53.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 JMD 481

$1.29 €1.11

137.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 JMD 566

$2.05 €1.77

75.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 JMD 159

$1.99 €1.71

-49.25%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 550

$3.39 €2.92

3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 JMD 1,748

$18.81 €16.21

-40.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 JMD 984

$9.36 €8.07

-33.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,177

$19.12 €16.48

-60.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 JMD 922

$2.70 €2.32

117.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 473

$2.34 €2.02

28.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 461

$2.12 €1.83

38.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 466

$2.85 €2.46

3.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 321

$1.97 €1.70

3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.80 €1.55

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 250

$1.45 €1.25

9.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 JMD 195

$0.86 €0.74

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 JMD 1,409

$6.78 €5.84

32.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,814

$7.90 €6.81

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 447

$1.39 €1.20

104.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 334

$2.37 €2.04

-10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 JMD 240

$2.92 €2.52

-47.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 JMD 9,958

$28.69 €24.72

120.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 JMD 145

$4.46 €3.84

-79.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 502

$2.05 €1.77

55.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 993

$29.55 €25.46

-78.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 JMD 171

$1.82 €1.56

-40.66%

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

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

$38.8K €33.5K

9.70%

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

$33.1K €28.5K

-0.03%

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

$155 JMD 24.4K

$189 €163

-18.05%

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

$21.91 JMD 3,446

$22.80 €19.65

-3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 JMD 7,897

$37.59 €32.39

33.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,104

$10.82 €9.33

23.66%

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

$226 JMD 35.5K

$728 €628

-68.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

$14.8K €12.7K

-82.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 JMD 4,123

$88.6 €76.4

-70.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 JMD 4,090

$36.85 €31.75

-29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$102 €87.9

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

$116 €100

-34.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 JMD 49.9K

$1,569 €1,352

-79.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 JMD 34.3K

$1,218 €1,050

-82.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 JMD 104.2K

$2,795 €2,409

-76.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 JMD 93.9K

$1,975 €1,702

-69.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

$7,754 €6,680

0.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

$5,176 €4,460

13.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

$2,343 €2,019

-44.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

3.39

169.91%

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

Last update for Portmore: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $317 in Portmore and $1,569 in Barcelona. 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: $63.0 in Portmore vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $319 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

Portmore vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portmore and Barcelona differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,086 vs $2,337 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 81% less. 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: $317 in Portmore versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Portmore versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $2,337 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, Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.