Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,954 in Barbados versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,210 in Barbados versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,465 in Barbados versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Barbados is roughly 60% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barbados is 47% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 BBD 40.64

$4.51 ฿147

350.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 BBD 228

$46.62 ฿1,515

144.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 BBD 20.35

$8.49 ฿276

19.91%

Cappuccino

$4.39 BBD 8.78

$3.08 ฿100

42.53%

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

$2.07 BBD 4.13

$0.68 ฿22.07

204.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BBD 2.93

$0.36 ฿11.75

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 BBD 6.07

$2.43 ฿78.8

24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 BBD 8.02

$3.63 ฿118

10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.49 BBD 6.99

$2.19 ฿71.1

59.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 BBD 5.19

$1.81 ฿59.0

43.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 BBD 9.10

$2.23 ฿72.5

104.04%

Eggs

$5.80 BBD 11.59

$2.24 ฿72.7

158.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 BBD 12.97

$19.60 ฿637

-66.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 BBD 26.33

$3.72 ฿121

254.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 BBD 20.96

$13.47 ฿438

-22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 BBD 9.40

$3.36 ฿109

39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 BBD 6.41

$1.62 ฿52.5

98.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 BBD 10.86

$2.41 ฿78.3

125.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 BBD 10.92

$1.99 ฿64.6

174.37%

Potato (1kg)

$5.57 BBD 11.14

$1.53 ฿49.76

264.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.92 BBD 9.83

$1.45 ฿47.19

239.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 BBD 5.58

$1.01 ฿32.96

176.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 BBD 5.82

$0.48 ฿15.73

506.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.68 BBD 15.37

$4.27 ฿139

79.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.24 BBD 32.49

$19.12 ฿621

-15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 BBD 3.38

$1.84 ฿59.7

-8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 BBD 5.50

$2.74 ฿89.1

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 BBD 3.41

$1.42 ฿46.06

19.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 BBD 12.42

$3.00 ฿97.6

107.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 BBD 6.89

$1.05 ฿34.00

227.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.24 BBD 44.47

$13.90 ฿452

60.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 BBD 4.04

$1.29 ฿41.94

56.59%

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

$49.3K BBD 98.5K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

75.73%

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

$40.4K BBD 80.8K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

20.57%

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

$192 BBD 384

$122 ฿3,964

57.31%

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

$48.89 BBD 97.8

$13.93 ฿453

250.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.7 BBD 171

$18.87 ฿613

354.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 BBD 144

$61.3 ฿1,992

17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 BBD 19.79

$8.89 ฿289

11.36%

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

$266 BBD 531

$691 ฿22.5K

-61.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 BBD 109

$57.8 ฿1,878

-5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.10 BBD 56.2

$35.39 ฿1,150

-20.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 BBD 178

$113 ฿3,685

-21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 BBD 110

$83.0 ฿2,698

-33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 BBD 1,321

$607 ฿19.7K

8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 BBD 1,315

$448 ฿14.6K

46.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 BBD 4,258

$2,029 ฿66.0K

4.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 BBD 2,812

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-5.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 BBD 2,618

$505 ฿16.4K

159.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

5.33

38.84%

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

Last update for Barbados: June 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $661 in Barbados and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barbados pays 159% 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: $114 in Barbados vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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

Barbados vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados and Phuket differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,954 vs $1,223 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barbados pays 159% more on average, 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: $661 in Barbados versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barbados. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,954 per month in Barbados versus $1,223 in Phuket – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,954 in Barbados, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Barbados. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Barbados and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Barbados. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.