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 $712 per month in Barbados vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,237 per month in Barbados vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,761 per month in Barbados vs $3,104 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Barbados is roughly 54% cheaper than Costa Rica on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Barbados sits 47% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Barbados has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,988) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Barbados.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 BBD 40.30

$9.69 ₡4,410

107.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 BBD 196

$59.8 ₡27.2K

64.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 BBD 20.38

$9.65 ₡4,395

5.60%

Cappuccino

$4.87 BBD 9.75

$3.99 ₡1,816

22.06%

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

$1.80 BBD 3.59

$2.18 ₡992

-17.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 BBD 2.66

$1.64 ₡745

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 BBD 5.13

$3.05 ₡1,387

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 BBD 7.89

$4.42 ₡2,010

-10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 BBD 7.10

$2.05 ₡933

73.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 BBD 5.28

$3.21 ₡1,463

-17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 BBD 7.92

$2.49 ₡1,132

59.04%

Eggs

$5.47 BBD 10.95

$3.29 ₡1,496

66.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 BBD 15.71

$9.11 ₡4,145

-13.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 BBD 21.70

$9.70 ₡4,414

11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 BBD 20.72

$13.19 ₡6,006

-21.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 BBD 8.33

$4.53 ₡2,062

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 BBD 6.34

$1.57 ₡714

101.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 BBD 10.11

$3.20 ₡1,459

58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 BBD 7.90

$2.94 ₡1,338

34.35%

Potato (1kg)

$4.18 BBD 8.36

$2.99 ₡1,360

39.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 BBD 6.32

$2.71 ₡1,234

16.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 BBD 5.28

$1.03 ₡469

156.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 BBD 4.43

$2.50 ₡1,138

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 BBD 15.78

$5.05 ₡2,298

56.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.92 BBD 31.83

$16.18 ₡7,367

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 BBD 3.50

$2.39 ₡1,090

-26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 BBD 5.91

$2.77 ₡1,259

6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 BBD 3.53

$0.95 ₡431

86.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.91 BBD 49.82

$48.97 ₡22.3K

-49.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.10 BBD 30.20

$1.86 ₡847

711.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 BBD 4.89

$2.01 ₡915

21.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.30 BBD 80.6

$7.75 ₡3,530

420.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 BBD 4.14

$1.50 ₡684

38.00%

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

$40.5K BBD 81.0K

$36.8K ₡16.7M

10.16%

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

$37.5K BBD 74.9K

$35.5K ₡16.1M

5.62%

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

$125 BBD 250

$87.5 ₡39.8K

42.83%

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

$49.94 BBD 99.9

$25.82 ₡11.8K

93.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 BBD 122

$54.5 ₡24.8K

12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.4 BBD 147

$56.4 ₡25.7K

30.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.3K

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 BBD 20.17

$9.14 ₡4,161

10.28%

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

$262 BBD 525

$555 ₡252.6K

-52.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,288 BBD 14.6K

$9,828 ₡4.5M

-25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 BBD 113

$73.9 ₡33.6K

-23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 BBD 77.5

$54.2 ₡24.7K

-28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BBD 205

$119 ₡54.0K

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 BBD 185

$102 ₡46.4K

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 BBD 1,328

$822 ₡374.3K

-19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 BBD 1,082

$549 ₡249.9K

-1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 BBD 3,487

$1,469 ₡668.7K

18.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 BBD 2,438

$1,023 ₡465.8K

19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,479 BBD 6,958

$2,327 ₡1.1M

49.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,450 BBD 6,901

$1,612 ₡734.0K

113.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,149 BBD 2,298

$1,076 ₡490.0K

6.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

10.53

-46.63%

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

Last update for Barbados: April 26, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Barbados vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $583 in Bridgetown and $872 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,303 in Barbados vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 292% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 38% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 17% higher in Barbados, giving Barbados stronger purchasing power.

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 61% 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 61% 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.