Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,835 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Barbados despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
Learn more

Barbados Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,835 in Barbados.

Mexico City $1,608
Barbados $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $4,058 in Barbados.

Mexico City $2,549
Barbados $4,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $6,280 in Barbados.

Mexico City $3,490
Barbados $6,280

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 12% less than in Barbados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Barbados 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$24.59 BBD 49.18

-56.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$112 BBD 224

-56.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$12.57 BBD 25.15

-17.66%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$4.63 BBD 9.26

-20.30%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$2.17 BBD 4.34

-23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.80 BBD 3.60

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$3.08 BBD 6.16

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$4.03 BBD 8.06

31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$3.61 BBD 7.22

-52.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.60 BBD 5.19

16.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$3.99 BBD 7.98

-51.38%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$6.08 BBD 12.16

-52.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$6.57 BBD 13.14

66.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$10.07 BBD 20.14

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$11.38 BBD 22.75

32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$5.04 BBD 10.08

-39.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$4.32 BBD 8.63

-55.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$5.36 BBD 10.71

-62.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$5.66 BBD 11.32

-59.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$6.94 BBD 13.88

-70.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$4.75 BBD 9.50

-62.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$2.70 BBD 5.40

-45.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$2.68 BBD 5.37

-52.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$6.87 BBD 13.74

-22.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$15.80 BBD 31.61

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.71 BBD 3.43

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$3.05 BBD 6.10

39.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$1.74 BBD 3.48

-82.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$4.99 BBD 9.97

-63.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$3.33 BBD 6.66

-84.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.99 BBD 3.97

-24.12%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$49.2K BBD 98.3K

-55.76%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$39.2K BBD 78.5K

-38.85%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$101 BBD 203

-37.84%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$49.42 BBD 98.8

-44.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$86.9 BBD 174

-58.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$73.6 BBD 147

-19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$8.66 BBD 17.32

-26.10%

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

$432 MX$8,111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$45.91 BBD 91.8

48.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$20.07 BBD 40.13

164.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$61.0 BBD 122

76.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$655 BBD 1,309

70.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$665 BBD 1,330

6.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$1,814 BBD 3,629

42.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$3,391 BBD 6,782

-58.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$1,318 BBD 2,636

-28.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Barbados

$665 36.2% 6.4% $46

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Barbados

$427 23.3% 33.6% $107

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Barbados

$329 17.9% 65.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Barbados

$57 * 3.1% 63.3% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Barbados

$238 13% 88.5% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Barbados

$91 5% 26.7% $19

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Barbados

$29 * 1.6% 12.3% $3.1

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 $1,113 in Mexico City and $655 in Barbados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barbados pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $112 in Barbados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $427 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

623

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Barbados 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,835 in Barbados, so Mexico City is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $655 in Barbados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $112 in Barbados. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,835 in Barbados – Mexico City is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City 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.

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