Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Barbados Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Barbados

Name: Barbados
Address: BB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $712 in Barbados, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,237 in Barbados, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,761 in Barbados, rent included.

Australia costs about 207% more than Barbados on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Barbados is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$20.15 BBD 40.30

-19.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$98.1 BBD 196

-21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$10.19 BBD 20.38

-3.73%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$4.87 BBD 9.75

-26.49%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$1.80 BBD 3.59

42.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$1.33 BBD 2.66

63.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$2.57 BBD 5.13

157.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$3.95 BBD 7.89

80.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$3.55 BBD 7.10

-57.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$2.64 BBD 5.28

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$3.96 BBD 7.92

-47.73%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$5.47 BBD 10.95

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$7.85 BBD 15.71

10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$10.85 BBD 21.70

-23.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$10.36 BBD 20.72

34.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$4.17 BBD 8.33

-20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$3.17 BBD 6.34

-12.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$5.06 BBD 10.11

-41.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$3.95 BBD 7.90

6.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$4.18 BBD 8.36

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$3.16 BBD 6.32

-33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$2.64 BBD 5.28

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$2.22 BBD 4.43

-32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$7.89 BBD 15.78

300.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$15.92 BBD 31.83

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$1.75 BBD 3.50

162.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$2.96 BBD 5.91

62.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$1.77 BBD 3.53

70.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$24.91 BBD 49.82

294.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$15.10 BBD 30.20

-76.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$2.45 BBD 4.89

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$40.30 BBD 80.6

-5.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$2.07 BBD 4.14

-41.55%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$40.5K BBD 81.0K

-28.34%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$37.5K BBD 74.9K

-39.76%

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

$177 A$248

$125 BBD 250

41.94%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$49.94 BBD 99.9

-46.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$61.2 BBD 122

-14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$73.4 BBD 147

-35.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$10.08 BBD 20.17

36.21%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$262 BBD 525

507.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$7,288 BBD 14.6K

74.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$56.5 BBD 113

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$38.76 BBD 77.5

32.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$102 BBD 205

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$92.7 BBD 185

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$664 BBD 1,328

110.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$541 BBD 1,082

99.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$1,744 BBD 3,487

34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$1,219 BBD 2,438

44.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$3,479 BBD 6,958

122.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$3,450 BBD 6,901

61.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$1,149 BBD 2,298

248.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

5.62

12.99%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barbados: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $198 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $583 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $1,303 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 522% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 108% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 198% higher in Australia.

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

Australia vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 122% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Barbados, contributing to the overall 122% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Barbados is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.