Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Barbados

Name: Barbados
Address: BB

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $2,128 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Australia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia 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 Australia and in Barbados actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,128 in Barbados, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Barbados $2,128

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $3,587 in Barbados, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Barbados $3,587

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $5,047 in Barbados, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Barbados $5,047

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, Barbados $278–$2,488. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is about 23% higher than in Barbados on average.

Both Australia and Barbados are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Barbados by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.10

$19.87 BBD 39.75

-11.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$101 BBD 202

-15.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.77

$10.79 BBD 21.59

2.78%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$5.38 BBD 10.77

-27.51%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.96 BBD 3.91

45.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$1.56 BBD 3.11

48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.71

$2.48 BBD 4.96

203.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.21

$4.04 BBD 8.08

112.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$3.63 BBD 7.26

-51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.80 BBD 5.59

0.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$3.86 BBD 7.72

-41.97%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$5.59 BBD 11.17

-10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.03

$7.27 BBD 14.55

35.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.25

$10.58 BBD 21.15

-11.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.14

$10.12 BBD 20.23

46.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.43

$4.93 BBD 9.86

-22.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$3.52 BBD 7.03

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$5.94 BBD 11.88

-47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.84

$6.39 BBD 12.78

-24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$5.43 BBD 10.85

-48.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$3.96 BBD 7.92

-39.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$2.71 BBD 5.42

-12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-35.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.7

$8.08 BBD 16.16

384.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.81

$16.20 BBD 32.40

-14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$2.00 BBD 4.01

148.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.36

$3.10 BBD 6.19

66.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.71 BBD 3.43

41.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$51.9 BBD 104

82.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$9.35 BBD 18.70

-62.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.94 BBD 5.89

-45.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.7

$40.33 BBD 80.7

-1.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$2.01 BBD 4.01

-30.85%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

-19.28%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

-33.61%

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

$205 A$292

$172 BBD 345

18.97%

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

$28.33 A$40.30

$50.6 BBD 101

-44.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.6

$77.3 BBD 155

-24.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.2

$70.7 BBD 141

-21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.84

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.87

$11.46 BBD 22.91

34.21%

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

$2,145 A$3,051

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

197.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$49.63 BBD 99.3

57.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$29.36 BBD 58.7

91.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$103 BBD 205

12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$82.0 BBD 164

50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,263

$885 BBD 1,770

79.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,839

$820 BBD 1,639

57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,591

$1,828 BBD 3,657

38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,852

$1,996 BBD 3,993

0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$3,443 BBD 6,886

154.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,904

$3,532 BBD 7,063

77.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,666

$1,433 BBD 2,866

178.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

8.39

-29.32%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Barbados

$820 38.5% 36.6% $473

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Barbados

$423 19.9% 13% $49

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Barbados

$291 13.7% 2.1% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Barbados

$300 14.1% 2.8% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Barbados

$119 5.6% 29.3% $49

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Barbados

$83 3.9% 28.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Barbados

$94 4.4% 8.3% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $983 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,177 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $2,071 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 41% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 37% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 26% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are 87% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

15 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

303,431

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Barbados 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
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

Australia vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 19% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $983 in Barbados.

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