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: $1,102 in Portmore versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Portmore costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 JMD 755

$17.15 €14.90

-72.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 JMD 9,810

$68.1 €59.1

-8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 JMD 1,365

$13.64 €11.85

-36.36%

Cappuccino

$4.41 JMD 693

$2.78 €2.41

58.63%

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

$0.63 JMD 98.7

$2.82 €2.45

-77.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 JMD 78.9

$1.96 €1.71

-74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 JMD 289

$4.43 €3.85

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 JMD 354

$4.61 €4.00

-51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.27 €1.11

144.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 JMD 558

$2.13 €1.85

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 JMD 160

$1.99 €1.73

-48.74%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 563

$3.37 €2.92

6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 JMD 1,707

$18.96 €16.47

-42.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 973

$9.53 €8.28

-35.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,175

$18.73 €16.27

-60.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 JMD 929

$2.65 €2.30

123.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 470

$2.35 €2.04

27.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 JMD 453

$2.09 €1.81

37.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 478

$2.73 €2.37

11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 330

$1.96 €1.70

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 302

$1.81 €1.57

6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 JMD 239

$1.51 €1.31

0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 JMD 200

$0.89 €0.78

42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 JMD 1,361

$6.78 €5.89

27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 JMD 1,754

$7.92 €6.88

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 440

$1.37 €1.19

104.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 335

$2.40 €2.09

-11.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 JMD 250

$2.91 €2.53

-45.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 JMD 9,968

$28.66 €24.90

121.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 146

$4.58 €3.98

-79.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.04 €1.77

57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 JMD 1,011

$28.72 €24.95

-77.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.82 €1.59

-40.11%

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

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

$39.3K €34.2K

7.74%

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

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

$32.5K €28.2K

3.43%

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

$156 JMD 24.6K

$187 €162

-16.17%

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

$21.70 JMD 3,411

$22.29 €19.37

-2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 JMD 8,082

$36.37 €31.60

41.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.98

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.02

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 JMD 2,081

$10.77 €9.36

22.93%

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

$227 JMD 35.6K

$725 €630

-68.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

$15.2K €13.2K

-83.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.67 JMD 4,035

$87.9 €76.3

-70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.00 JMD 4,087

$36.81 €31.98

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

$103 €89.8

-31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$119 €103

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 JMD 48.8K

$1,524 €1,324

-79.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 JMD 35.0K

$1,227 €1,066

-81.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 JMD 103.9K

$2,727 €2,370

-75.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 JMD 91.7K

$1,984 €1,724

-70.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

$7,469 €6,489

0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

$5,243 €4,555

11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

$2,393 €2,079

-45.14%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Portmore and $1,524 in Barcelona. 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: $62.0 in Portmore vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $2,359 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $310 in Portmore versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $227 in Portmore versus $725 in Barcelona. 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, 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 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.