Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $1,862 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Barbados

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,862 in Barbados.

Austin, TX $2,704
Barbados $1,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,060 in Barbados.

Austin, TX $4,133
Barbados $4,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $6,257 in Barbados.

Austin, TX $5,562
Barbados $6,257

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 45% more expensive than in Barbados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Barbados 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$25.31 BBD 50.6

-20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$113 BBD 227

-24.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.63 BBD 25.26

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.53 BBD 9.07

20.75%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.13 BBD 4.26

79.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.70 BBD 3.40

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.04 BBD 6.07

165.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.88 BBD 7.77

131.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.65 BBD 7.29

-69.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.70 BBD 5.39

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.08 BBD 8.16

-20.34%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$6.07 BBD 12.14

-31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.65 BBD 13.29

96.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.15 BBD 20.30

40.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.16 BBD 22.32

43.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.98 BBD 9.97

-12.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$4.34 BBD 8.68

-66.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.52 BBD 11.05

-17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.75 BBD 11.51

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$6.70 BBD 13.40

-60.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$4.93 BBD 9.86

-52.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.78 BBD 5.55

-36.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.62 BBD 5.24

-17.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.80 BBD 13.61

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$16.18 BBD 32.37

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.77 BBD 3.54

57.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.01 BBD 6.02

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.72 BBD 3.43

-13.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.10 BBD 10.20

-47.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.46 BBD 6.92

-54.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.09 BBD 4.18

-52.63%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$50.8K BBD 101.6K

-29.50%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.2K BBD 80.3K

-32.35%

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

$219 $219

$99.5 BBD 199

120.42%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$48.94 BBD 97.9

18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$87.3 BBD 175

-21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$76.1 BBD 152

-23.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.64 BBD 17.28

63.54%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$46.50 BBD 93.0

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$20.34 BBD 40.67

116.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$60.2 BBD 120

41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$664 BBD 1,327

191.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$680 BBD 1,359

87.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,822 BBD 3,644

101.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$3,402 BBD 6,804

-25.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,308 BBD 2,616

290.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-38.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Barbados

$680 36.6% 46.6% $593

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Barbados

$430 23.1% 6.7% $27

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Barbados

$333 17.9% 4.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Barbados

$236 12.7% 31.8% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Barbados

$57 * 3.1% 55.6% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Barbados

$93 5% 8.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Barbados

$29 * 1.6% 48.6% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $664 in Barbados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 290% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $113 in Barbados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $430 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

623

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

BBD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Barbados 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Barbados

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

Austin, TX vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barbados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 290% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $664 in Barbados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,862 in Barbados – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Austin, TX pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,862 in Barbados versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barbados but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Barbados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barbados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barbados hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Barbados 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 Barbados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.