Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $703 per month in Barbados vs $712 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,229 per month in Barbados vs $1,131 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,754 per month in Barbados vs $1,549 in China, rent included.

The cost of living in Barbados is roughly 1% lower than in China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Barbados and China are more affordable than the global median – Barbados 47% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 BBD 39.87

$2.77 ¥18.72

619.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 BBD 198

$24.05 ¥162

312.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 BBD 20.34

$4.73 ¥31.93

115.01%

Cappuccino

$4.96 BBD 9.92

$3.08 ¥20.78

61.04%

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

$1.83 BBD 3.65

$0.44 ¥3.00

315.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BBD 2.80

$0.29 ¥1.98

382.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 BBD 5.07

$1.01 ¥6.80

150.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BBD 8.07

$2.08 ¥14.03

94.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.47 BBD 6.94

$1.83 ¥12.39

89.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 BBD 5.32

$1.62 ¥10.94

64.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 BBD 8.20

$0.97 ¥6.58

322.68%

Eggs

$5.67 BBD 11.33

$1.61 ¥10.90

252.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 BBD 15.93

$13.34 ¥90.1

-40.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 BBD 22.43

$3.37 ¥22.75

232.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 BBD 20.65

$10.68 ¥72.2

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 BBD 8.26

$1.81 ¥12.26

128.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 BBD 6.45

$1.25 ¥8.44

158.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 BBD 10.00

$1.46 ¥9.88

242.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 BBD 8.18

$1.15 ¥7.73

255.65%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 BBD 8.17

$0.73 ¥4.92

458.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 BBD 6.43

$0.89 ¥5.99

261.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 BBD 5.16

$0.60 ¥4.05

330.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 BBD 4.56

$0.53 ¥3.59

330.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 BBD 16.21

$3.39 ¥22.93

139.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 BBD 31.44

$11.73 ¥79.3

34.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 BBD 3.51

$0.77 ¥5.23

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 BBD 5.66

$1.63 ¥10.98

73.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 BBD 3.53

$0.41 ¥2.77

329.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.07 BBD 50.1

$21.24 ¥143

18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 BBD 29.43

$1.35 ¥9.13

990.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 BBD 4.86

$0.36 ¥2.40

575.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.59 BBD 81.2

$6.70 ¥45.26

505.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 BBD 3.98

$1.18 ¥7.98

68.64%

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

$40.1K BBD 80.2K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

102.90%

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

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

124.71%

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

$126 BBD 253

$51.7 ¥349

144.34%

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

$49.14 BBD 98.3

$10.09 ¥68.2

387.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 BBD 119

$11.38 ¥76.9

420.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.3 BBD 147

$39.24 ¥265

86.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 BBD 20.21

$6.30 ¥42.56

60.32%

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

$269 BBD 537

$414 ¥2,795

-35.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 BBD 15.1K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-56.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 BBD 115

$46.77 ¥316

22.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.97 BBD 75.9

$33.08 ¥223

14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BBD 205

$70.9 ¥479

44.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 BBD 181

$74.5 ¥503

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 BBD 1,358

$440 ¥2,972

54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 BBD 1,103

$253 ¥1,707

118.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 BBD 3,458

$911 ¥6,153

89.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 BBD 2,418

$531 ¥3,584

127.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,544 BBD 7,088

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-25.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,470 BBD 6,940

$2,403 ¥16.2K

44.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,274 BBD 2,547

$1,058 ¥7,144

20.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

4.06

38.42%

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

Last update for Barbados: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $197 in Barbados vs $287 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $599 in Bridgetown and $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $1,464 in Barbados vs $857 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in China.

Dining out costs 76% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 71% higher in Barbados, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Barbados.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 13% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Barbados, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Barbados consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in China, contributing to the overall 13% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in China, but in Barbados it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.