Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Barbados

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.

🇨🇦 Canada
$2,305
/mo nomad
🇧🇧 Barbados
$2,088
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Barbados

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
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.69 CA$25.22
$20.12 BBD 40.25
-12.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 CA$101
$101 BBD 203
-30.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 CA$15.27
$10.70 BBD 21.40
0.09%
Cappuccino
$3.72 CA$5.30
$5.18 BBD 10.35
-28.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.95
$1.98 BBD 3.96
4.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.36
$1.49 BBD 2.98
11.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 CA$8.11
$2.48 BBD 4.97
129.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 CA$8.20
$4.03 BBD 8.05
42.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 CA$3.04
$3.65 BBD 7.29
-41.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.82
$2.87 BBD 5.74
-6.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.13
$3.95 BBD 7.90
-8.86%
Eggs
$3.51 CA$5.00
$5.66 BBD 11.32
-37.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.72 CA$15.29
$7.70 BBD 15.39
39.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 CA$16.98
$10.39 BBD 20.78
14.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 CA$21.80
$10.00 BBD 20.00
52.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 CA$5.68
$4.92 BBD 9.84
-19.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$3.38 BBD 6.75
-59.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 CA$5.47
$5.94 BBD 11.87
-35.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.06 CA$5.78
$6.33 BBD 12.67
-35.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.56 CA$3.65
$5.45 BBD 10.89
-53.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 CA$3.45
$3.98 BBD 7.96
-39.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.57 CA$3.66
$2.67 BBD 5.35
-3.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.41
$2.53 BBD 5.06
-33.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.94 CA$19.86
$8.23 BBD 16.45
69.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 CA$18.90
$16.21 BBD 32.41
-18.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 CA$4.07
$1.91 BBD 3.82
49.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 CA$4.64
$3.15 BBD 6.30
3.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Barbados
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 CA$3.44
$1.78 BBD 3.55
35.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.8 CA$102
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 CA$4.35
$9.58 BBD 19.16
-68.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$2.99 BBD 5.97
-51.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.68 CA$38.02
$40.45 BBD 80.9
-34.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.67
$2.03 BBD 4.06
-42.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K CA$39.5K
$36.8K BBD 73.6K
-24.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K CA$27.7K
$38.1K BBD 76.3K
-49.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$210
$170 BBD 341
-13.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.33 CA$58.9
$50.2 BBD 100
-17.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.9 CA$82.5
$79.0 BBD 158
-26.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.41 CA$57.6
$72.1 BBD 144
-43.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.23 CA$27.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.07 CA$15.78
$11.27 BBD 22.54
-1.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$757 CA$1,079
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K CA$20.3K
$6,179 BBD 12.4K
130.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 CA$77.3
$50.2 BBD 100
7.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.79 CA$56.7
$29.43 BBD 58.9
35.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.6 CA$125
$104 BBD 208
-15.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$144
$82.2 BBD 164
22.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Barbados
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 CA$1,822
$872 BBD 1,743
46.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 CA$1,578
$832 BBD 1,664
33.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,035 CA$2,901
$1,797 BBD 3,594
13.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,741 CA$2,481
$1,988 BBD 3,977
-12.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,611 CA$6,572
$3,496 BBD 6,993
31.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,822 CA$5,448
$3,557 BBD 7,114
7.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Barbados
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,975 CA$4,240
$1,432 BBD 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.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Barbados
$832 24.9% $275
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$368
Barbados
$423 14.7% $54
Eating Out
Canada
$273
Barbados
$290 6% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$246
Barbados
$300 21.6% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Barbados
$120 5.9% $7.5
Getting Around
Canada
$92
Barbados
$32 * 65.5% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63
Barbados
$95 51.4% $32

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.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇧🇧 Barbados
🕒 Local time
13:31 1:31 PM
13:31 1:31 PM
Same time as Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
303,431
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Barbados 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Barbados

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.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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