Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Barbados Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Barbados

Name: Barbados
Address: BB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $712 in Barbados, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,237 in Barbados, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,761 in Barbados, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 116% more than Barbados on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Barbados is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Barbados has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,988) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Barbados.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,410

$20.15 BBD 40.30

-51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$98.1 BBD 196

-39.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,395

$10.19 BBD 20.38

-5.30%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,816

$4.87 BBD 9.75

-18.07%

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

$2.18 ₡992

$1.80 BBD 3.59

21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡745

$1.33 BBD 2.66

23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,387

$2.57 BBD 5.13

18.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,010

$3.95 BBD 7.89

11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡933

$3.55 BBD 7.10

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,463

$2.64 BBD 5.28

21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,132

$3.96 BBD 7.92

-37.12%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,496

$5.47 BBD 10.95

-39.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,145

$7.85 BBD 15.71

16.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,414

$10.85 BBD 21.70

-10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡6,006

$10.36 BBD 20.72

27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,062

$4.17 BBD 8.33

8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡714

$3.17 BBD 6.34

-50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,459

$5.06 BBD 10.11

-36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,338

$3.95 BBD 7.90

-25.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,360

$4.18 BBD 8.36

-28.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,234

$3.16 BBD 6.32

-14.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$2.64 BBD 5.28

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,138

$2.22 BBD 4.43

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,298

$7.89 BBD 15.78

-35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,367

$15.92 BBD 31.83

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,090

$1.75 BBD 3.50

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,259

$2.96 BBD 5.91

-6.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡431

$1.77 BBD 3.53

-46.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$24.91 BBD 49.82

96.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡847

$15.10 BBD 30.20

-87.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡915

$2.45 BBD 4.89

-17.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,530

$40.30 BBD 80.6

-80.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡684

$2.07 BBD 4.14

-27.54%

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

$36.8K ₡16.7M

$40.5K BBD 81.0K

-9.22%

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

$35.5K ₡16.1M

$37.5K BBD 74.9K

-5.33%

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

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$125 BBD 250

-29.99%

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

$25.82 ₡11.8K

$49.94 BBD 99.9

-48.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$61.2 BBD 122

-10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$73.4 BBD 147

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,161

$10.08 BBD 20.17

-9.33%

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

$555 ₡252.6K

$262 BBD 525

111.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

$7,288 BBD 14.6K

34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.6K

$56.5 BBD 113

30.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.7K

$38.76 BBD 77.5

39.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡54.0K

$102 BBD 205

15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.4K

$92.7 BBD 185

10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡374.3K

$664 BBD 1,328

23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡249.9K

$541 BBD 1,082

1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡668.7K

$1,744 BBD 3,487

-15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡465.8K

$1,219 BBD 2,438

-16.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$3,479 BBD 6,958

-33.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡734.0K

$3,450 BBD 6,901

-53.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡490.0K

$1,149 BBD 2,298

-6.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

5.62

87.37%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barbados: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $198 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $583 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $1,303 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 292% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 38% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 17% higher in Barbados, giving Barbados stronger purchasing power.

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

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 61% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Barbados, contributing to the overall 61% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in Costa Rica 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.