Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and United Kingdom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $712 per month in Barbados vs $2,360 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,237 per month in Barbados vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,761 per month in Barbados vs $4,581 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Barbados is roughly 70% cheaper than United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Barbados sits 47% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.15 BBD 40.30
$20.50 £15.19
-1.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.1 BBD 196
$89.6 £66.4
9.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 BBD 20.38
$10.05 £7.45
1.39%
Cappuccino
$4.87 BBD 9.75
$4.53 £3.35
7.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 BBD 3.59
$2.47 £1.83
-27.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 BBD 2.66
$1.70 £1.26
-21.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.57 BBD 5.13
$6.61 £4.90
-61.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 BBD 7.89
$6.48 £4.80
-39.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.55 BBD 7.10
$1.64 £1.22
116.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 BBD 5.28
$1.70 £1.26
55.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.96 BBD 7.92
$2.20 £1.63
80.00%
Eggs
$5.47 BBD 10.95
$3.98 £2.95
37.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.85 BBD 15.71
$9.62 £7.13
-18.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.85 BBD 21.70
$9.02 £6.68
20.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.36 BBD 20.72
$14.00 £10.38
-26.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.17 BBD 8.33
$3.07 £2.28
35.83%
Banana (1kg)
$3.17 BBD 6.34
$1.61 £1.19
96.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.06 BBD 10.11
$2.82 £2.09
79.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 BBD 7.90
$3.58 £2.65
10.34%
Potato (1kg)
$4.18 BBD 8.36
$1.61 £1.19
159.63%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 BBD 6.32
$1.52 £1.13
107.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.64 BBD 5.28
$1.16 £0.86
127.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 BBD 4.43
$1.50 £1.11
48.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.89 BBD 15.78
$20.28 £15.03
-61.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.92 BBD 31.83
$10.76 £7.97
47.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 BBD 3.50
$2.90 £2.15
-39.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 BBD 5.91
$3.27 £2.43
-9.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 BBD 3.53
$3.25 £2.41
-45.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.91 BBD 49.82
$96.6 £71.6
-74.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$15.10 BBD 30.20
$5.41 £4.01
179.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.45 BBD 4.89
$1.55 £1.15
58.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.30 BBD 80.6
$27.40 £20.31
47.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 BBD 4.14
$2.00 £1.48
3.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.5K BBD 81.0K
$38.6K £28.6K
4.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K BBD 74.9K
$40.1K £29.7K
-6.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 BBD 250
$324 £240
-61.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.94 BBD 99.9
$17.16 £12.71
191.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 BBD 122
$42.46 £31.46
44.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.4 BBD 147
$46.45 £34.42
58.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.23 £12.03
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.08 BBD 20.17
$13.44 £9.96
-25.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$262 BBD 525
$1,720 £1,275
-84.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,288 BBD 14.6K
$21.1K £15.7K
-65.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.5 BBD 113
$89.6 £66.4
-37.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.76 BBD 77.5
$43.89 £32.52
-11.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 BBD 205
$101 £74.7
1.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.7 BBD 185
$105 £78.2
-12.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$664 BBD 1,328
$1,396 £1,034
-52.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$541 BBD 1,082
$1,126 £834
-51.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,744 BBD 3,487
$2,346 £1,738
-25.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 BBD 2,438
$1,877 £1,391
-35.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,479 BBD 6,958
$5,923 £4,389
-41.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,450 BBD 6,901
$4,613 £3,418
-25.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barbados
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,149 BBD 2,298
$3,374 £2,500
-65.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.62
5.75
-2.26%

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

Last update for Barbados: April 26, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Barbados vs $1,267 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $583 in Bridgetown and $3,034 in London.

Average salary: $1,303 in Barbados vs $3,209 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 540% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 127% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 2225% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 146% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Barbados and United Kingdom compare in cost of living?
Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 186% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Barbados and United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Barbados or United Kingdom?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Barbados, contributing to the overall 186% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $3,000 go in Barbados vs United Kingdom?
$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Barbados and United Kingdom?
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.

Barbados vs other spots: cost of living compared

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