Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $1,862 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,862

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in Vancouver

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 Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,862 in Barbados versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

Barbados $1,862
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,060 in Barbados versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

Barbados $4,060
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,257 in Barbados versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

Barbados $6,257
Vancouver $5,072

Living in Barbados costs roughly 31% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barbados 39% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 BBD 50.6

$17.30 CA$24.66

46.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 BBD 227

$69.0 CA$98.3

64.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 BBD 25.26

$10.56 CA$15.05

19.60%

Cappuccino

$4.53 BBD 9.07

$3.89 CA$5.54

16.45%

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

$2.13 BBD 4.26

$2.05 CA$2.93

3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BBD 3.40

$1.62 CA$2.31

4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 BBD 6.07

$5.54 CA$7.90

-45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 BBD 7.77

$6.33 CA$9.02

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.65 BBD 7.29

$2.31 CA$3.30

58.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 BBD 5.39

$2.50 CA$3.56

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 BBD 8.16

$4.44 CA$6.33

-8.11%

Eggs

$6.07 BBD 12.14

$4.07 CA$5.80

49.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 BBD 13.29

$11.28 CA$16.08

-41.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 BBD 20.30

$13.42 CA$19.13

-24.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 BBD 22.32

$20.10 CA$28.65

-44.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 BBD 9.97

$4.06 CA$5.78

22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$4.34 BBD 8.68

$1.33 CA$1.90

226.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 BBD 11.05

$3.91 CA$5.57

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 BBD 11.51

$4.05 CA$5.78

41.98%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 BBD 13.40

$2.72 CA$3.88

146.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$2.89 CA$4.12

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 BBD 5.55

$2.53 CA$3.61

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 BBD 5.24

$1.62 CA$2.31

61.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 BBD 13.61

$15.57 CA$22.19

-56.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 BBD 32.37

$14.05 CA$20.03

15.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 BBD 3.54

$2.69 CA$3.83

-34.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 BBD 6.02

$2.99 CA$4.26

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 BBD 3.43

$2.44 CA$3.48

-29.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 BBD 10.20

$2.71 CA$3.87

88.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 BBD 6.92

$1.57 CA$2.24

120.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 BBD 4.18

$1.38 CA$1.96

51.45%

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

$50.8K BBD 101.6K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

80.93%

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

$40.2K BBD 80.3K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

102.72%

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

$99.5 BBD 199

$81.2 CA$116

22.57%

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

$48.94 BBD 97.9

$37.45 CA$53.4

30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 BBD 175

$51.4 CA$73.2

69.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 BBD 152

$43.47 CA$62.0

75.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 BBD 17.28

$12.54 CA$17.88

-31.10%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.50 BBD 93.0

$57.0 CA$81.3

-18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.34 BBD 40.67

$32.73 CA$46.66

-37.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 BBD 120

$92.6 CA$132

-35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 BBD 1,327

$1,745 CA$2,488

-61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 BBD 1,359

$1,484 CA$2,115

-54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 BBD 3,644

$2,998 CA$4,273

-39.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 BBD 6,804

$2,422 CA$3,453

40.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,308 BBD 2,616

$3,799 CA$5,416

-65.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

157.01%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 5, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$680 36.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 118% $804

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$430 23.1%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 7.2% $31

Eating Out

Barbados

$333 17.9%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 18.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$236 12.7%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 27.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$93 5%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 26.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$57 * 3.1%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 118% $67

Getting Around

Barbados

$29 * 1.6%

Vancouver

$104 4% 254% $74

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 $664 in Barbados and $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 190% 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: $113 in Barbados vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $399 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

3 h behind Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

623

631,486

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbados Vancouver 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados and Vancouver differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,862 vs $2,684 including rent). Barbados is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 190% lower in Vancouver. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $664 in Barbados versus $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barbados – a meal for two runs $113 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,862 per month in Barbados versus $2,684 in Vancouver – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,862 in Barbados versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barbados but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Barbados 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 Vancouver 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 44% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.