Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $2,088 a month against $2,785 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United States outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,088

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,088 per month in Barbados vs $2,784 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $2,088
United States $2,784

A couple spends around $3,533 per month in Barbados vs $3,982 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $3,533
United States $3,982

A family of three spends $4,979 per month in Barbados vs $5,179 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $4,979
United States $5,179

The cost of living in Barbados is roughly 25% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Barbados and the United States are pricier than the global median – Barbados by 56%, the United States by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 BBD 40.25

$20.22 $20.22

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 203

$81.1 $81.1

24.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 BBD 21.40

$12.12 $12.12

-11.72%

Cappuccino

$5.18 BBD 10.35

$5.36 $5.36

-3.36%

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

$1.98 BBD 3.96

$2.77 $2.77

-28.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 BBD 2.98

$2.09 $2.09

-28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BBD 4.97

$5.84 $5.84

-57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 BBD 8.05

$7.92 $7.92

-49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.65 BBD 7.29

$1.04 $1.04

250.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 BBD 5.74

$3.56 $3.56

-19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 BBD 7.90

$4.69 $4.69

-15.78%

Eggs

$5.66 BBD 11.32

$4.43 $4.43

27.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 BBD 15.39

$12.91 $12.91

-40.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 BBD 20.78

$12.20 $12.20

-14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 BBD 20.00

$17.00 $17.00

-41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 BBD 9.84

$5.31 $5.31

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 BBD 6.75

$1.67 $1.67

102.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 BBD 11.87

$4.49 $4.49

32.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 BBD 12.67

$5.05 $5.05

25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$5.45 BBD 10.89

$2.83 $2.83

92.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 BBD 7.96

$3.00 $3.00

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 BBD 5.35

$2.28 $2.28

17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 BBD 5.06

$2.27 $2.27

11.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 BBD 16.45

$10.33 $10.33

-20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.21 BBD 32.41

$14.72 $14.72

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 BBD 3.82

$2.05 $2.05

-6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 BBD 6.30

$3.66 $3.66

-13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 BBD 3.55

$2.33 $2.33

-23.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.58 BBD 19.16

$3.60 $3.60

166.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.99 BBD 5.97

$1.90 $1.90

57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.45 BBD 80.9

$29.81 $29.81

35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 BBD 4.06

$1.03 $1.03

97.09%

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

$36.8K BBD 73.6K

$35.1K $35.1K

4.90%

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

$38.1K BBD 76.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

45.16%

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

$170 BBD 341

$216 $216

-21.11%

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

$50.2 BBD 100

$62.3 $62.3

-19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 BBD 158

$74.6 $74.6

5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 BBD 144

$44.70 $44.70

61.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.55 $22.55

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 BBD 22.54

$15.19 $15.19

-25.81%

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

$1,440 $1,440

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,179 BBD 12.4K

$25.2K $25.2K

-75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 BBD 100

$53.7 $53.7

-6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.43 BBD 58.9

$42.44 $42.44

-30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BBD 208

$93.4 $93.4

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 BBD 164

$115 $115

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 BBD 1,743

$1,622 $1,622

-46.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 BBD 1,664

$1,357 $1,357

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 BBD 3,594

$2,681 $2,681

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 BBD 3,977

$2,170 $2,170

-8.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,496 BBD 6,993

$3,294 $3,294

6.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,557 BBD 7,114

$2,674 $2,674

33.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 BBD 2,864

$4,242 $4,242

-66.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.39

6.55

28.09%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 6, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$832 39.8%

United States

$1.4K 49.4% 63% $525

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$423 20.2%

United States

$411 15% 2.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$300 14.3%

United States

$353 12.9% 17.8% $53

Eating Out

Barbados

$290 13.9%

United States

$327 11.9% 12.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$120 5.7%

United States

$137 5% 14.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$95 4.5%

United States

$75 2.7% 20.7% $20

Getting Around

Barbados

$32 * 1.5%

United States

$87 3.2% 177% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $244 in Barbados vs $1,605 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,166 in Bridgetown and $2,726 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $2,076 in Barbados vs $4,534 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 558% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 92% more in the United States.

Salaries are 118% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

Same time as Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

303,431

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbados United States 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,605 versus $244 in Barbados.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Barbados, adding to the overall 33% price gap.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in the United States 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.