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: $2,128 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/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 $2,128 per month in Barbados vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $2,128
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $3,587 per month in Barbados vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $3,587
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Barbados vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Barbados $5,047
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Barbados ($278–$2,488), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Barbados is roughly 22% 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 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 BBD 39.75

$20.03 $20.03

-0.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BBD 202

$80.0 $80.0

26.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 BBD 21.59

$11.80 $11.80

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$5.38 BBD 10.77

$5.55 $5.55

-3.06%

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

$1.96 BBD 3.91

$2.66 $2.66

-26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BBD 3.11

$2.17 $2.17

-28.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BBD 4.96

$6.12 $6.12

-59.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BBD 8.08

$7.94 $7.94

-49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.63 BBD 7.26

$1.04 $1.04

249.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 BBD 5.59

$3.59 $3.59

-22.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 BBD 7.72

$4.52 $4.52

-14.60%

Eggs

$5.59 BBD 11.17

$4.28 $4.28

30.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 BBD 14.55

$13.22 $13.22

-45.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 BBD 21.15

$12.60 $12.60

-16.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 BBD 20.23

$17.60 $17.60

-42.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$5.30 $5.30

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 BBD 7.03

$1.69 $1.69

108.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 BBD 11.88

$4.44 $4.44

33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 BBD 12.78

$4.77 $4.77

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$5.43 BBD 10.85

$2.97 $2.97

82.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 BBD 7.92

$3.15 $3.15

25.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 BBD 5.42

$2.20 $2.20

23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$2.35 $2.35

8.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 BBD 16.16

$10.98 $10.98

-26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 BBD 32.40

$15.05 $15.05

7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 BBD 4.01

$2.06 $2.06

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 BBD 6.19

$3.79 $3.79

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 BBD 3.43

$1.94 $1.94

-11.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 BBD 104

$59.4 $59.4

-12.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 BBD 18.70

$3.58 $3.58

161.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 BBD 5.89

$1.88 $1.88

56.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 BBD 80.7

$29.84 $29.84

35.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 BBD 4.01

$1.02 $1.02

97.06%

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

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

$28.8K $28.8K

29.27%

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

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

48.03%

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

$172 BBD 345

$218 $218

-20.93%

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

$50.6 BBD 101

$62.5 $62.5

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 BBD 155

$74.5 $74.5

3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 BBD 141

$41.86 $41.86

68.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 BBD 22.91

$14.70 $14.70

-22.04%

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

$1,489 $1,489

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-75.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 BBD 99.3

$54.3 $54.3

-8.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 BBD 58.7

$42.71 $42.71

-31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BBD 205

$94.1 $94.1

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 BBD 164

$114 $114

-27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 BBD 1,770

$1,659 $1,659

-46.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 BBD 1,639

$1,348 $1,348

-39.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 BBD 3,657

$2,682 $2,682

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 BBD 3,993

$2,169 $2,169

-7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,443 BBD 6,886

$3,283 $3,283

4.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,532 BBD 7,063

$2,482 $2,482

42.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,433 BBD 2,866

$4,296 $4,296

-66.65%

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 24, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$820 38.5%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 64.4% $528

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$423 19.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 1.7% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$300 14.1%

United States

$355 13% 18.2% $55

Eating Out

Barbados

$291 13.7%

United States

$328 12% 12.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$119 5.6%

United States

$137 5% 15.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$94 4.4%

United States

$71 2.6% 23.9% $22

Getting Around

Barbados

$83 3.9%

United States

$80 2.9% 3.3% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $983 in Barbados vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,177 in Bridgetown and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $2,071 in Barbados vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 65% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 53% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h behind 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 = 0.448 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

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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 22% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $983 in Barbados.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.