Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $1,835 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,835 in Barbados.

Lisbon $2,210
Barbados $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,058 in Barbados.

Lisbon $3,275
Barbados $4,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,280 in Barbados.

Lisbon $4,341
Barbados $6,280

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Barbados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Barbados 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$24.59 BBD 49.18

-32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$112 BBD 224

-44.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$12.57 BBD 25.15

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.63 BBD 9.26

-35.85%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.17 BBD 4.34

5.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.80 BBD 3.60

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.08 BBD 6.16

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.03 BBD 8.06

-17.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$3.61 BBD 7.22

-67.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.60 BBD 5.19

-26.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.99 BBD 7.98

-62.16%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$6.08 BBD 12.16

-33.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$6.57 BBD 13.14

96.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$10.07 BBD 20.14

-22.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$11.38 BBD 22.75

56.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.04 BBD 10.08

-54.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$4.32 BBD 8.63

-59.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$5.36 BBD 10.71

-65.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.66 BBD 11.32

-54.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$6.94 BBD 13.88

-73.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.75 BBD 9.50

-58.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.70 BBD 5.40

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.68 BBD 5.37

-73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.87 BBD 13.74

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$15.80 BBD 31.61

-64.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.71 BBD 3.43

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.05 BBD 6.10

-29.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.74 BBD 3.48

33.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.99 BBD 9.97

-22.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$3.33 BBD 6.66

-67.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.99 BBD 3.97

10.55%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$49.2K BBD 98.3K

-30.47%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$39.2K BBD 78.5K

-1.28%

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

$161 €144

$101 BBD 203

59.12%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$49.42 BBD 98.8

-62.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$86.9 BBD 174

-62.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$73.6 BBD 147

-39.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.66 BBD 17.32

10.85%

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

$668 €598

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$45.91 BBD 91.8

122.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$20.07 BBD 40.13

121.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$61.0 BBD 122

61.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$655 BBD 1,309

145.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$665 BBD 1,330

79.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,814 BBD 3,629

55.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$3,391 BBD 6,782

-40.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,318 BBD 2,636

19.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-65.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Barbados

$665 36.2% 44.1% $525

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Barbados

$427 23.3% 56.8% $155

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Barbados

$329 17.9% 35.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Barbados

$238 13% 11.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Barbados

$57 * 3.1% 65.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Barbados

$91 5% 42.6% $27

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Barbados

$29 * 1.6% 54.8% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $655 in Barbados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $112 in Barbados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $427 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

23:59 11:59 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

623

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lisbon Barbados 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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

Lisbon vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,835 in Barbados, so Barbados is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $655 in Barbados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $112 in Barbados. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,835 in Barbados – Barbados is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barbados gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Barbados are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barbados wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.