Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

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.

103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

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🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in Australia

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

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

Barbados $2,128
Australia $2,626

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

Barbados $3,587
Australia $3,810

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

Barbados $5,047
Australia $4,994

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

The cost of living in Barbados is roughly 19% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 BBD 39.75

$17.65 A$25.10

12.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 202

$85.2 A$121

18.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 BBD 21.59

$11.09 A$15.77

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$5.38 BBD 10.77

$3.90 A$5.54

37.95%

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

$1.96 BBD 3.91

$2.85 A$4.05

-31.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BBD 3.11

$2.31 A$3.29

-32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BBD 4.96

$7.53 A$10.71

-67.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BBD 8.08

$8.59 A$12.21

-52.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.63 BBD 7.26

$1.76 A$2.50

106.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 BBD 5.59

$2.81 A$3.99

-0.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 BBD 7.72

$2.24 A$3.19

72.32%

Eggs

$5.59 BBD 11.17

$5.02 A$7.14

11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 BBD 14.55

$9.87 A$14.03

-26.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 BBD 21.15

$9.32 A$13.25

13.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 BBD 20.23

$14.86 A$21.14

-31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$3.82 A$5.43

29.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 BBD 7.03

$2.92 A$4.16

20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 BBD 11.88

$3.13 A$4.46

89.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 BBD 12.78

$4.81 A$6.84

32.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.43 BBD 10.85

$2.80 A$3.98

93.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 BBD 7.92

$2.38 A$3.38

66.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 BBD 5.42

$2.37 A$3.37

14.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$1.65 A$2.35

53.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 BBD 16.16

$39.13 A$55.7

-79.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 BBD 32.40

$13.93 A$19.81

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 BBD 4.01

$4.96 A$7.05

-59.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 BBD 6.19

$5.17 A$7.36

-40.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 BBD 3.43

$2.42 A$3.44

-29.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 BBD 104

$94.6 A$135

-45.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 BBD 18.70

$3.49 A$4.97

167.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 BBD 5.89

$1.60 A$2.27

83.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 BBD 80.7

$39.84 A$56.7

1.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 BBD 4.01

$1.39 A$1.98

44.60%

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

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

$30.0K A$42.7K

23.89%

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

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

$25.8K A$36.6K

50.64%

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

$172 BBD 345

$205 A$292

-15.95%

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

$50.6 BBD 101

$28.33 A$40.30

78.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 BBD 155

$58.8 A$83.6

31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 BBD 141

$55.7 A$79.2

27.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.84

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 BBD 22.91

$15.38 A$21.87

-25.49%

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

$2,145 A$3,051

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

$18.3K A$26.1K

-66.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 BBD 99.3

$78.3 A$111

-36.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 BBD 58.7

$56.3 A$80.0

-47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BBD 205

$115 A$164

-10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 BBD 164

$123 A$175

-33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 BBD 1,770

$1,591 A$2,263

-44.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 BBD 1,639

$1,293 A$1,839

-36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 BBD 3,657

$2,524 A$3,591

-27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 BBD 3,993

$2,005 A$2,852

-0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,443 BBD 6,886

$8,751 A$12.4K

-60.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,532 BBD 7,063

$6,260 A$8,904

-43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,433 BBD 2,866

$3,984 A$5,666

-64.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.39

5.93

41.48%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 24, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$820 38.5%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 57.7% $473

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$423 19.9%

Australia

$374 14.3% 11.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$300 14.1%

Australia

$292 11.1% 2.7% $8.1

Eating Out

Barbados

$291 13.7%

Australia

$297 11.3% 2.1% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$119 5.6%

Australia

$168 6.4% 41.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$94 4.4%

Australia

$86 3.3% 7.7% $7.2

Getting Around

Barbados

$83 3.9%

Australia

$116 4.4% 39.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $2,071 in Barbados vs $3,874 in Australia. 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

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

19:00 7:00 PM

15 h ahead of Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

303,431

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

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).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbados Australia 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
Australia

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 Australia: 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.