Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,835 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Barbados despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,835

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Barbados versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Barbados $1,835
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,058 in Barbados versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Barbados $4,058
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,280 in Barbados versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Barbados $6,280
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Barbados is roughly 14% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barbados 35% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.59 BBD 49.18

$10.62 MX$200

131.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 BBD 224

$48.35 MX$909

131.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.57 BBD 25.15

$10.35 MX$194

21.45%

Cappuccino

$4.63 BBD 9.26

$3.69 MX$69.4

25.47%

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

$2.17 BBD 4.34

$1.67 MX$31.32

29.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BBD 3.60

$1.27 MX$23.78

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 BBD 6.16

$3.19 MX$60.0

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 BBD 8.06

$5.31 MX$99.7

-24.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.61 BBD 7.22

$1.72 MX$32.41

109.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 BBD 5.19

$3.04 MX$57.1

-14.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 BBD 7.98

$1.94 MX$36.48

105.67%

Eggs

$6.08 BBD 12.16

$2.89 MX$54.3

110.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 BBD 13.14

$10.97 MX$206

-40.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 BBD 20.14

$9.25 MX$174

8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 BBD 22.75

$15.13 MX$284

-24.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 BBD 10.08

$3.05 MX$57.3

65.25%

Banana (1kg)

$4.32 BBD 8.63

$1.94 MX$36.48

122.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 BBD 10.71

$2.03 MX$38.06

164.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 BBD 11.32

$2.31 MX$43.50

145.02%

Potato (1kg)

$6.94 BBD 13.88

$2.04 MX$38.25

240.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 BBD 9.50

$1.80 MX$33.83

163.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 BBD 5.40

$1.48 MX$27.80

82.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 BBD 5.37

$1.27 MX$23.82

111.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 BBD 13.74

$5.30 MX$99.7

29.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 BBD 31.61

$16.10 MX$303

-1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 BBD 3.43

$1.98 MX$37.27

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 BBD 6.10

$4.25 MX$79.9

-28.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 BBD 3.48

$0.31 MX$5.73

461.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 BBD 9.97

$1.84 MX$34.53

171.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 BBD 6.66

$0.53 MX$10.03

528.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 BBD 3.97

$1.51 MX$28.39

31.79%

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

$49.2K BBD 98.3K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

126.04%

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

$39.2K BBD 78.5K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

63.54%

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

$101 BBD 203

$63.0 MX$1,184

60.88%

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

$49.42 BBD 98.8

$27.39 MX$515

80.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.9 BBD 174

$35.67 MX$670

143.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 BBD 147

$58.9 MX$1,108

24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 BBD 17.32

$6.40 MX$120

35.31%

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

$432 MX$8,111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.91 BBD 91.8

$68.2 MX$1,282

-32.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.07 BBD 40.13

$53.1 MX$999

-62.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 BBD 122

$108 MX$2,026

-43.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 BBD 1,309

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-41.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 BBD 1,330

$710 MX$13.4K

-6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 BBD 3,629

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-29.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,391 BBD 6,782

$1,406 MX$26.4K

141.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,318 BBD 2,636

$946 MX$17.8K

39.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-3.08%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$665 36.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 6.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$427 23.3%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 25.2% $107

Eating Out

Barbados

$329 17.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 39.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$238 13%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 47% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$91 5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 21.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$57 * 3.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 173% $99

Getting Around

Barbados

$29 * 1.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 10.9% $3.1

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 $655 in Barbados and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barbados pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $112 in Barbados vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

2 h behind Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

623

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbados Mexico City 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
Mexico City

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

Barbados vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,835 in Barbados and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Barbados, 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: $655 in Barbados versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $112 in Barbados. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,835 per month in Barbados versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Mexico City is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Barbados on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.