For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $2,088 a month against $2,305 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Canada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in Barbados actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,305 per month in Canada vs $2,088 in Barbados, rent included.
Canada $2,305
Barbados $2,088
A couple spends around $3,339 per month in Canada vs $3,533 in Barbados, rent included.
Canada $3,339
Barbados $3,533
A family of three spends $4,374 per month in Canada vs $4,979 in Barbados, rent included.
Canada $4,374
Barbados $4,979
🌍
The cost of living in Canada is about 10% higher than in Barbados on average.
📊
Both Canada and Barbados are pricier than the global median – Canada by 72%, Barbados by 56%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.69CA$25.22
$20.12BBD 40.25
-12.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6CA$101
$101BBD 203
-30.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.71CA$15.27
$10.70BBD 21.40
0.09%
Cappuccino
$3.72CA$5.30
$5.18BBD 10.35
-28.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07CA$2.95
$1.98BBD 3.96
4.55%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66CA$2.36
$1.49BBD 2.98
11.41%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.69CA$8.11
$2.48BBD 4.97
129.44%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76CA$8.20
$4.03BBD 8.05
42.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.13CA$3.04
$3.65BBD 7.29
-41.64%
White Bread(500g)
$2.68CA$3.82
$2.87BBD 5.74
-6.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.60CA$5.13
$3.95BBD 7.90
-8.86%
Eggs
$3.51CA$5.00
$5.66BBD 11.32
-37.99%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.72CA$15.29
$7.70BBD 15.39
39.22%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.91CA$16.98
$10.39BBD 20.78
14.63%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.29CA$21.80
$10.00BBD 20.00
52.90%
Apples(1kg)
$3.98CA$5.68
$4.92BBD 9.84
-19.11%
Banana(1kg)
$1.36CA$1.94
$3.38BBD 6.75
-59.76%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.84CA$5.47
$5.94BBD 11.87
-35.35%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.06CA$5.78
$6.33BBD 12.67
-35.86%
Potato(1kg)
$2.56CA$3.65
$5.45BBD 10.89
-53.03%
Onion(1kg)
$2.42CA$3.45
$3.98BBD 7.96
-39.20%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.57CA$3.66
$2.67BBD 5.35
-3.75%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69CA$2.41
$2.53BBD 5.06
-33.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.94CA$19.86
$8.23BBD 16.45
69.38%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.26CA$18.90
$16.21BBD 32.41
-18.20%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86CA$4.07
$1.91BBD 3.82
49.74%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26CA$4.64
$3.15BBD 6.30
3.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Barbados
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.41CA$3.44
$1.78BBD 3.55
35.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$71.8CA$102
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.05CA$4.35
$9.58BBD 19.16
-68.16%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.44CA$2.05
$2.99BBD 5.97
-51.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.68CA$38.02
$40.45BBD 80.9
-34.04%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.17CA$1.67
$2.03BBD 4.06
-42.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7KCA$39.5K
$36.8KBBD 73.6K
-24.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4KCA$27.7K
$38.1KBBD 76.3K
-49.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$147CA$210
$170BBD 341
-13.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.33CA$58.9
$50.2BBD 100
-17.67%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.9CA$82.5
$79.0BBD 158
-26.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.41CA$57.6
$72.1BBD 144
-43.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.23CA$27.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.07CA$15.78
$11.27BBD 22.54
-1.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$757CA$1,079
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.3KCA$20.3K
$6,179BBD 12.4K
130.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2CA$77.3
$50.2BBD 100
7.96%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.79CA$56.7
$29.43BBD 58.9
35.20%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.6CA$125
$104BBD 208
-15.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101CA$144
$82.2BBD 164
22.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Barbados
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,278CA$1,822
$872BBD 1,743
46.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,107CA$1,578
$832BBD 1,664
33.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,035CA$2,901
$1,797BBD 3,594
13.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,741CA$2,481
$1,988BBD 3,977
-12.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,611CA$6,572
$3,496BBD 6,993
31.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,822CA$5,448
$3,557BBD 7,114
7.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,975CA$4,240
$1,432BBD 2,864
107.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.87
8.39
-41.95%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Canada: October 5, 2026
Last update for Barbados: October 6, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K 48.6%
Barbados
$832 39.8% ↓ 24.9%$275
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$368 16.2%
Barbados
$423 20.2% ↑ 14.7%$54
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$273 12%
Barbados
$290 13.9% ↑ 6%$16
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$246 10.8%
Barbados
$300 14.3% ↑ 21.6%$53
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127 5.6%
Barbados
$120 5.7% ↓ 5.9%$7.5
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$92 4%
Barbados
$32 * 1.5% ↓ 65.5%$60
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63 2.8%
Barbados
$95 4.5% ↑ 51.4%$32
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.7K 39.7%
Barbados
$2K 40.3% ↑ 14.2%$248
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$840 19.2%
Barbados
$975 19.7% ↑ 16%$134
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$905 20.6%
Barbados
$1.1K 22.4% ↑ 22%$199
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$288 6.6%
Barbados
$350 7.1% ↑ 21.6%$62
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$283 6.4%
Barbados
$266 5.4% ↓ 5.9%$17
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$188 4.3%
Barbados
$67 * 1.4% ↓ 64.5%$121
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$144 3.3%
Barbados
$189 * 3.8% ↑ 31.2%$45
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,193 in Canada vs $244 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,490 in Ottawa and $1,166 in Bridgetown.
💰Average salary: $2,896 in Canada vs $2,076 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 389% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 62% more in Canada.
⭐Salaries are 39% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.
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
Canada vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Barbados and Canada compare in cost of living?
Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Barbados and Canada?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,193 versus $244 in Barbados.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Barbados or Canada?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Barbados, adding to the overall 10% price gap.
How far does $3,000 go in Barbados compared to Canada?
$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Barbados and in Canada?
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.