Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,838 a month against $2,088 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Barbados despite lower rent and utilities.

🇮🇹 Italy
$1,838
/mo nomad
🇧🇧 Barbados
$2,088
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,838 per month in Italy vs $2,088 in Barbados, rent included.

  • Italy $1,838
  • Barbados $2,088

A couple spends around $2,793 per month in Italy vs $3,533 in Barbados, rent included.

  • Italy $2,793
  • Barbados $3,533

A family of three spends $3,748 per month in Italy vs $4,979 in Barbados, rent included.

  • Italy $3,748
  • Barbados $4,979

The cost of living in Italy is roughly 12% lower than in Barbados on average.

Both Italy and Barbados are pricier than the global median – Italy by 37%, Barbados by 56%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.52 €18.31
$20.12 BBD 40.25
1.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.8 €71.2
$101 BBD 203
-21.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.08
$10.70 BBD 21.40
5.61%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.82
$5.18 BBD 10.35
-60.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.66
$1.98 BBD 3.96
50.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.49 BBD 2.98
-9.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 €4.97
$2.48 BBD 4.97
124.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 €4.91
$4.03 BBD 8.05
36.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 €1.46
$3.65 BBD 7.29
-55.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.87 BBD 5.74
-19.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.93 €2.61
$3.95 BBD 7.90
-25.82%
Eggs
$4.10 €3.66
$5.66 BBD 11.32
-27.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.49 €15.61
$7.70 BBD 15.39
127.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.66 €11.29
$10.39 BBD 20.78
21.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.70 €18.47
$10.00 BBD 20.00
107.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.26
$4.92 BBD 9.84
-48.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$3.38 BBD 6.75
-35.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 €2.33
$5.94 BBD 11.87
-56.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.28 €2.93
$6.33 BBD 12.67
-48.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$5.45 BBD 10.89
-64.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.64
$3.98 BBD 7.96
-53.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.67 BBD 5.35
-41.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 €0.45
$2.53 BBD 5.06
-79.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.83 €6.09
$8.23 BBD 16.45
-17.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.95 €7.10
$16.21 BBD 32.41
-50.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.91 BBD 3.82
-8.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.18
$3.15 BBD 6.30
-22.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Barbados
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.78 BBD 3.55
5.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.69 €38.09
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 €5.15
$9.58 BBD 19.16
-39.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.99 BBD 5.97
-42.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.10 €30.43
$40.45 BBD 80.9
-15.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.03 BBD 4.06
3.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K €33.1K
$36.8K BBD 73.6K
0.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K €32.1K
$38.1K BBD 76.3K
-5.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 €199
$170 BBD 341
30.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.53 €10.29
$50.2 BBD 100
-77.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.07 €27.73
$79.0 BBD 158
-60.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 €48.18
$72.1 BBD 144
-25.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.15
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.81 €9.64
$11.27 BBD 22.54
-4.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$551 €492
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.4K
$6,179 BBD 12.4K
88.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.3 €81.5
$50.2 BBD 100
81.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.49 €34.35
$29.43 BBD 58.9
30.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €93.0
$104 BBD 208
0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €116
$82.2 BBD 164
57.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Barbados
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$797 €711
$872 BBD 1,743
-8.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$624 €557
$832 BBD 1,664
-25.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 €1,255
$1,797 BBD 3,594
-21.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,053 €940
$1,988 BBD 3,977
-47.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,680 €3,284
$3,496 BBD 6,993
5.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,261 €2,018
$3,557 BBD 7,114
-36.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Barbados
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,925 €1,718
$1,432 BBD 2,864
34.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
8.39
-57.57%

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

Last update for Italy: October 6, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$624
Barbados
$832 33.4% $208
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$349
Barbados
$423 20.9% $73
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Barbados
$290 3.9% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$265
Barbados
$300 13% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$164
Barbados
$120 26.9% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$76
Barbados
$95 25.2% $19
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Barbados
$32 * 51% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $730 in Italy vs $244 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,205 in Rome and $1,166 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $1,908 in Italy vs $2,076 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 199% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 90% more in Italy.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇧🇧 Barbados
🕒 Local time
20:20 8:20 PM
14:20 2:20 PM
6 h behind Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
303,431
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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
  • Italy Barbados 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • 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
Italy vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Barbados and Italy compare in cost of living?
Italy is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in Italy?
Not necessarily. Overall, Barbados costs about 14% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Barbados. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
How far does $2,500 go in Barbados compared to Italy?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Italy, but in Barbados it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Barbados and in Italy?
Italy 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.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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