Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,128 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in Costa Rica

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

A single person spends $2,128 per month in Barbados vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Barbados $2,128
Costa Rica $1,821

A couple spends around $3,587 per month in Barbados vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Barbados $3,587
Costa Rica $2,773

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Barbados vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Barbados $5,047
Costa Rica $3,725

The regional cost range is wider in Barbados ($278–$2,488) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Barbados is about 17% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both Barbados and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Barbados by 56%, Costa Rica by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 BBD 39.75

$11.26 ₡5,085

76.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 202

$54.5 ₡24.6K

85.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 BBD 21.59

$11.02 ₡4,975

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$5.38 BBD 10.77

$4.43 ₡1,999

21.44%

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

$1.96 BBD 3.91

$2.34 ₡1,055

-16.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BBD 3.11

$1.84 ₡829

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BBD 4.96

$3.26 ₡1,473

-23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BBD 8.08

$4.55 ₡2,054

-11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.63 BBD 7.26

$2.45 ₡1,105

48.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 BBD 5.59

$3.56 ₡1,608

-21.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 BBD 7.72

$2.76 ₡1,245

39.86%

Eggs

$5.59 BBD 11.17

$3.97 ₡1,794

40.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 BBD 14.55

$10.47 ₡4,728

-30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 BBD 21.15

$9.98 ₡4,507

6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 BBD 20.23

$13.91 ₡6,278

-27.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$5.06 ₡2,283

-2.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 BBD 7.03

$1.69 ₡764

108.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 BBD 11.88

$3.45 ₡1,558

72.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 BBD 12.78

$3.23 ₡1,460

97.83%

Potato (1kg)

$5.43 BBD 10.85

$3.44 ₡1,555

57.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 BBD 7.92

$3.25 ₡1,465

21.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 BBD 5.42

$1.09 ₡492

148.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$2.67 ₡1,204

-4.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 BBD 16.16

$5.38 ₡2,427

50.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 BBD 32.40

$15.50 ₡6,996

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 BBD 4.01

$2.75 ₡1,241

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 BBD 6.19

$3.30 ₡1,489

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 BBD 3.43

$1.13 ₡509

51.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 BBD 104

$65.5 ₡29.6K

-20.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 BBD 18.70

$2.17 ₡979

330.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 BBD 5.89

$2.02 ₡913

45.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 BBD 80.7

$8.94 ₡4,036

351.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 BBD 4.01

$1.61 ₡726

24.84%

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

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

$34.5K ₡15.6M

7.76%

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

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

$37.4K ₡16.9M

3.84%

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

$172 BBD 345

$94.9 ₡42.9K

81.53%

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

$50.6 BBD 101

$31.42 ₡14.2K

61.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 BBD 155

$58.6 ₡26.4K

32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 BBD 141

$65.7 ₡29.7K

7.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 BBD 22.91

$8.10 ₡3,656

41.48%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

-52.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 BBD 99.3

$75.5 ₡34.1K

-34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 BBD 58.7

$56.4 ₡25.5K

-47.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BBD 205

$128 ₡57.9K

-19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 BBD 164

$108 ₡48.8K

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 BBD 1,770

$960 ₡433.4K

-7.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 BBD 1,639

$708 ₡319.6K

15.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 BBD 3,657

$1,749 ₡789.4K

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 BBD 3,993

$1,215 ₡548.5K

64.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,443 BBD 6,886

$2,656 ₡1.2M

29.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,532 BBD 7,063

$1,839 ₡830.1K

92.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,433 BBD 2,866

$1,058 ₡477.8K

35.38%

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$820 38.5%

Costa Rica

$708 38.9% 13.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$423 19.9%

Costa Rica

$380 20.9% 10.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$300 14.1%

Costa Rica

$185 10.2% 38.4% $115

Eating Out

Barbados

$291 13.7%

Costa Rica

$218 12% 24.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$119 5.6%

Costa Rica

$166 9.1% 39.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$94 4.4%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 12.5% $12

Getting Around

Barbados

$83 3.9%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $983 in Barbados vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,177 in Bridgetown and $1,164 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,071 in Barbados vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Barbados.

Dining out costs 113% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 58% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are 91% higher in Barbados, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Barbados.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

2 h behind Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

303,431

5,044,197

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbados Costa Rica 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
Costa Rica

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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Barbados: a central one-bedroom averages $983 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.