Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $587 per month in Barbados vs $1,676 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,090 per month in Barbados vs $2,636 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,593 per month in Barbados vs $3,595 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Barbados is roughly 65% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Barbados sits 57% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.41 BBD 44.82

$11.06 ₡4,916

102.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 203

$56.5 ₡25.1K

79.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 BBD 19.72

$10.92 ₡4,855

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BBD 10.02

$4.48 ₡1,992

11.83%

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

$1.88 BBD 3.77

$2.34 ₡1,042

-19.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BBD 2.80

$1.90 ₡843

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 BBD 5.13

$3.31 ₡1,471

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 BBD 8.18

$4.44 ₡1,975

-7.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.58 BBD 7.16

$2.43 ₡1,081

47.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 BBD 5.89

$3.65 ₡1,621

-19.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 BBD 7.99

$2.85 ₡1,268

40.35%

Eggs

$5.65 BBD 11.31

$4.15 ₡1,844

36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 BBD 15.24

$10.13 ₡4,504

-24.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 BBD 20.71

$10.55 ₡4,690

-1.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 BBD 19.62

$13.81 ₡6,136

-28.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 BBD 9.59

$5.12 ₡2,278

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 BBD 6.86

$1.72 ₡763

99.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.96 BBD 11.92

$3.71 ₡1,649

60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 BBD 13.23

$3.40 ₡1,511

94.41%

Potato (1kg)

$5.44 BBD 10.87

$3.46 ₡1,536

57.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 BBD 7.83

$3.11 ₡1,384

25.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 BBD 5.38

$1.14 ₡509

135.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 BBD 5.13

$2.77 ₡1,231

-7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 BBD 18.05

$5.47 ₡2,429

65.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 BBD 31.61

$16.31 ₡7,249

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 BBD 3.86

$2.69 ₡1,196

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 BBD 6.11

$3.33 ₡1,480

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 BBD 3.60

$1.12 ₡500

60.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 BBD 26.76

$65.7 ₡29.2K

-79.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 BBD 18.68

$2.19 ₡971

326.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 BBD 5.82

$2.07 ₡922

40.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.86 BBD 79.7

$9.41 ₡4,181

323.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 BBD 4.18

$1.56 ₡692

33.97%

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

$37.7K BBD 75.5K

$33.9K ₡15.1M

11.16%

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

$38.0K BBD 76.1K

$37.4K ₡16.6M

1.70%

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

$171 BBD 343

$96.4 ₡42.8K

77.90%

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

$50.2 BBD 100

$31.48 ₡14.0K

59.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 BBD 157

$59.5 ₡26.4K

32.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 BBD 156

$65.9 ₡29.3K

18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.45 ₡9,978

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 BBD 20.39

$8.90 ₡3,957

14.61%

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

$748 ₡332.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,027 BBD 10.1K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-60.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 BBD 102

$76.9 ₡34.2K

-33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 BBD 79.3

$56.8 ₡25.2K

-30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 BBD 194

$133 ₡59.2K

-27.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 BBD 144

$107 ₡47.7K

-32.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 BBD 1,737

$873 ₡388.1K

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 BBD 1,674

$650 ₡288.9K

28.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 BBD 3,638

$1,779 ₡790.8K

2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 BBD 4,033

$1,193 ₡530.0K

69.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,480 BBD 6,960

$2,452 ₡1.1M

41.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,489 BBD 6,978

$1,642 ₡729.8K

112.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,477 BBD 2,954

$1,059 ₡470.5K

39.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.39

9.56

-12.24%

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

Last update for Barbados: September 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $248 in Barbados vs $833 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,196 in Bridgetown and $965 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,046 in Barbados vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 236% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 33% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 86% 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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 27% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Barbados, contributing to the overall 27% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Barbados 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.