Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,128 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in China

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

A single person spends $2,128 per month in Barbados vs $791 in China, rent included.

Barbados $2,128
China $791

A couple spends around $3,587 per month in Barbados vs $1,251 in China, rent included.

Barbados $3,587
China $1,251

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Barbados vs $1,711 in China, rent included.

Barbados $5,047
China $1,711

The regional cost range is wider in Barbados ($278–$2,488) than in China ($465–$1,222), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Barbados is about 169% higher than in China on average.

Barbados sits 56% above the global median, while China is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 BBD 39.75

$2.98 ¥19.78

566.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 202

$22.09 ¥147

358.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 BBD 21.59

$5.20 ¥34.55

107.50%

Cappuccino

$5.38 BBD 10.77

$2.97 ¥19.71

81.14%

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

$1.96 BBD 3.91

$0.48 ¥3.18

308.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BBD 3.11

$0.30 ¥2.00

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BBD 4.96

$1.08 ¥7.17

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BBD 8.08

$2.28 ¥15.13

77.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.63 BBD 7.26

$1.80 ¥11.94

101.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 BBD 5.59

$1.68 ¥11.13

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 BBD 7.72

$0.92 ¥6.13

319.57%

Eggs

$5.59 BBD 11.17

$1.61 ¥10.72

247.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 BBD 14.55

$13.38 ¥88.9

-45.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 BBD 21.15

$3.35 ¥22.25

215.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 BBD 20.23

$11.35 ¥75.4

-10.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$1.82 ¥12.11

170.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 BBD 7.03

$1.31 ¥8.68

168.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 BBD 11.88

$1.49 ¥9.88

298.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 BBD 12.78

$1.27 ¥8.46

403.15%

Potato (1kg)

$5.43 BBD 10.85

$0.71 ¥4.73

664.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 BBD 7.92

$0.93 ¥6.20

325.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 BBD 5.42

$0.62 ¥4.11

337.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$0.56 ¥3.73

353.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 BBD 16.16

$3.78 ¥25.12

113.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 BBD 32.40

$12.13 ¥80.6

33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 BBD 4.01

$0.83 ¥5.53

140.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 BBD 6.19

$1.68 ¥11.19

84.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 BBD 3.43

$0.29 ¥1.91

489.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 BBD 104

$17.83 ¥118

191.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 BBD 18.70

$1.49 ¥9.88

527.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 BBD 5.89

$0.37 ¥2.49

694.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 BBD 80.7

$7.10 ¥47.17

468.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 BBD 4.01

$1.26 ¥8.36

59.52%

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

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

91.17%

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

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

$17.5K ¥116.5K

121.22%

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

$172 BBD 345

$54.6 ¥363

215.87%

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

$50.6 BBD 101

$8.73 ¥58.0

479.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 BBD 155

$11.07 ¥73.5

598.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 BBD 141

$40.77 ¥271

73.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.2

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 BBD 22.91

$6.78 ¥45.05

69.03%

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

$517 ¥3,433

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-68.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 BBD 99.3

$46.53 ¥309

6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 BBD 58.7

$35.66 ¥237

-17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BBD 205

$77.0 ¥512

33.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 BBD 164

$80.3 ¥533

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 BBD 1,770

$386 ¥2,564

129.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 BBD 1,639

$235 ¥1,558

249.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 BBD 3,657

$822 ¥5,461

122.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 BBD 3,993

$453 ¥3,011

340.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,443 BBD 6,886

$4,697 ¥31.2K

-26.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,532 BBD 7,063

$2,372 ¥15.8K

48.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,433 BBD 2,866

$1,093 ¥7,264

31.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.39

3.46

142.49%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$820 38.5%

China

$235 29.6% 71.4% $585

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$423 19.9%

China

$210 26.5% 50.3% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$300 14.1%

China

$74 9.4% 75.2% $226

Eating Out

Barbados

$291 13.7%

China

$88 11.1% 69.7% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$119 5.6%

China

$108 13.6% 9.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$94 4.4%

China

$54 6.9% 42% $39

Getting Around

Barbados

$83 3.9%

China

$22 2.8% 73% $61

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $983 in Barbados vs $298 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,177 in Bridgetown and $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $2,071 in Barbados vs $873 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 230% higher in Barbados.

Dining out costs 423% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 489% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are about 2.4 times higher in Barbados, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

12 h ahead of Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

303,431

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

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Between locations

Barbados China 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 63% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Barbados: a central one-bedroom averages $983 versus $298 in China.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in China – part of why living there is about 63% cheaper overall.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.