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 $1,540 per month in Costa Rica vs $703 in Barbados, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,229 in Barbados, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,754 in Barbados, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 119% higher than in Barbados on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 16% above the global median, while Barbados is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,558

$19.94 BBD 39.87

-49.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$99.2 BBD 198

-39.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,463

$10.17 BBD 20.34

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,828

$4.96 BBD 9.92

-18.15%

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

$2.12 ₡953

$1.83 BBD 3.65

15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡776

$1.40 BBD 2.80

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,347

$2.53 BBD 5.07

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,023

$4.04 BBD 8.07

11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡910

$3.47 BBD 6.94

-41.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,390

$2.66 BBD 5.32

16.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$4.10 BBD 8.20

-40.73%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,492

$5.67 BBD 11.33

-41.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,131

$7.97 BBD 15.93

15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,191

$11.21 BBD 22.43

-16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,950

$10.32 BBD 20.65

28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,131

$4.13 BBD 8.26

14.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$3.23 BBD 6.45

-50.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,461

$5.00 BBD 10.00

-35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,330

$4.09 BBD 8.18

-27.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,315

$4.08 BBD 8.17

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$3.22 BBD 6.43

-13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡461

$2.58 BBD 5.16

-60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$2.28 BBD 4.56

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,278

$8.11 BBD 16.21

-37.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,557

$15.72 BBD 31.44

6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,033

$1.76 BBD 3.51

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,263

$2.83 BBD 5.66

-0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡461

$1.76 BBD 3.53

-41.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡22.0K

$25.07 BBD 50.1

95.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡814

$14.72 BBD 29.43

-87.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡907

$2.43 BBD 4.86

-17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,455

$40.59 BBD 81.2

-81.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.99 BBD 3.98

-24.62%

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

$36.2K ₡16.3M

$40.1K BBD 80.2K

-9.73%

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

$36.0K ₡16.2M

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

-3.07%

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

$87.9 ₡39.5K

$126 BBD 253

-30.49%

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

$25.69 ₡11.6K

$49.14 BBD 98.3

-47.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$59.3 BBD 119

-8.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$73.3 BBD 147

-22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,048

$10.10 BBD 20.21

-10.89%

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

$556 ₡250.3K

$269 BBD 537

107.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$7,536 BBD 15.1K

34.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡33.0K

$57.4 BBD 115

27.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.9K

$37.97 BBD 75.9

40.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.5K

$103 BBD 205

15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.4K

$90.4 BBD 181

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡359.5K

$679 BBD 1,358

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡244.3K

$551 BBD 1,103

-1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡662.1K

$1,729 BBD 3,458

-14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡475.0K

$1,209 BBD 2,418

-12.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$3,544 BBD 7,088

-30.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡737.8K

$3,470 BBD 6,940

-52.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡487.7K

$1,274 BBD 2,547

-14.90%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barbados: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $752 in Costa Rica vs $197 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $873 in San Jose and $599 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $1,464 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 282% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 41% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 33% higher in Barbados, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Barbados.

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 62% 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 62% 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.