Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Barbados

Name: Barbados
Address: BB

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,128 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
Learn more

Barbados Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica and in Barbados actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,128 in Barbados, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Barbados $2,128

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,587 in Barbados, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Barbados $3,587

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $5,047 in Barbados, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Barbados $5,047

The regional cost range is wider in Barbados ($278–$2,488) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 14% lower than in Barbados on average.

Both Costa Rica and Barbados are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, Barbados by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$19.87 BBD 39.75

-43.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$101 BBD 202

-46.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$10.79 BBD 21.59

2.13%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$5.38 BBD 10.77

-17.66%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.96 BBD 3.91

19.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.56 BBD 3.11

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$2.48 BBD 4.96

31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$4.04 BBD 8.08

12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$3.63 BBD 7.26

-32.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$2.80 BBD 5.59

27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$3.86 BBD 7.72

-28.50%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$5.59 BBD 11.17

-28.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$7.27 BBD 14.55

44.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$10.58 BBD 21.15

-5.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$10.12 BBD 20.23

37.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$4.93 BBD 9.86

2.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$3.52 BBD 7.03

-51.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$5.94 BBD 11.88

-41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$6.39 BBD 12.78

-49.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$5.43 BBD 10.85

-36.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$3.96 BBD 7.92

-17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$2.71 BBD 5.42

-59.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.54 BBD 5.09

5.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$8.08 BBD 16.16

-33.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$16.20 BBD 32.40

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.00 BBD 4.01

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$3.10 BBD 6.19

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.71 BBD 3.43

-33.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$51.9 BBD 104

26.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$9.35 BBD 18.70

-76.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$2.94 BBD 5.89

-31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$40.33 BBD 80.7

-77.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$2.01 BBD 4.01

-19.90%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

-7.20%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

-3.70%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$172 BBD 345

-44.91%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$50.6 BBD 101

-37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$77.3 BBD 155

-24.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$70.7 BBD 141

-7.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$11.46 BBD 22.91

-29.32%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

109.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$49.63 BBD 99.3

52.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$29.36 BBD 58.7

92.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$103 BBD 205

24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$82.0 BBD 164

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$885 BBD 1,770

8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$820 BBD 1,639

-13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$1,828 BBD 3,657

-4.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$1,996 BBD 3,993

-39.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$3,443 BBD 6,886

-22.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$3,532 BBD 7,063

-47.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$1,433 BBD 2,866

-26.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

8.39

13.95%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Barbados

$820 38.5% 15.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Barbados

$423 19.9% 11.2% $43

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Barbados

$291 13.7% 33% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Barbados

$300 14.1% 62.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Barbados

$119 5.6% 28.4% $47

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Barbados

$83 3.9% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Barbados

$94 4.4% 14.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $983 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $1,177 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $2,071 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Barbados.

Dining out costs 113% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 58% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are 91% higher in Barbados, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Barbados.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

303,431

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Barbados 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
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

Costa Rica vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Barbados: a central one-bedroom averages $983 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.