Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Barbados Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Barbados

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $706 in Barbados, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,238 in Barbados, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,584 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,769 in Barbados, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 235% more than Barbados on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 76% above the global median, while Barbados is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.18 £15.00
$19.83 BBD 39.66
1.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.9 £64.6
$99.7 BBD 199
-12.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.31 £7.67
$10.09 BBD 20.18
2.18%
Cappuccino
$4.67 £3.47
$4.83 BBD 9.66
-3.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 £1.82
$1.77 BBD 3.54
38.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 £1.30
$1.40 BBD 2.80
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.61 £4.92
$2.46 BBD 4.92
168.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.31 £4.70
$4.04 BBD 8.08
56.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 £1.23
$3.41 BBD 6.82
-51.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.28
$2.69 BBD 5.37
-36.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 £1.71
$3.96 BBD 7.92
-42.17%
Eggs
$4.14 £3.08
$5.75 BBD 11.51
-28.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.97 £7.41
$8.02 BBD 16.03
24.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.88 £6.60
$11.21 BBD 22.41
-20.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.15 £10.52
$10.30 BBD 20.60
37.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.21
$4.25 BBD 8.50
-30.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 £1.25
$3.11 BBD 6.22
-45.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.12
$5.02 BBD 10.04
-43.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 £2.53
$4.07 BBD 8.15
-16.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 £1.24
$4.05 BBD 8.10
-59.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.13
$3.22 BBD 6.45
-52.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 £0.86
$2.64 BBD 5.29
-56.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 £1.12
$2.30 BBD 4.60
-34.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.73 £15.41
$8.18 BBD 16.35
153.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.85 £8.07
$15.83 BBD 31.67
-31.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 £2.10
$1.82 BBD 3.64
55.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 £2.46
$2.90 BBD 5.79
14.14%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 £2.37
$1.78 BBD 3.57
79.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.8 £70.5
$25.27 BBD 50.6
275.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.46 £4.06
$14.83 BBD 29.66
-63.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 £1.14
$2.47 BBD 4.94
-38.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.66 £19.83
$40.42 BBD 80.9
-34.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 £1.42
$2.08 BBD 4.17
-8.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.4K
$39.5K BBD 78.9K
-3.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.5K
$37.6K BBD 75.2K
9.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 £243
$123 BBD 245
166.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.50 £13.01
$50.4 BBD 101
-65.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.25 £31.41
$59.1 BBD 118
-28.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.93 £34.15
$71.2 BBD 142
-35.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.90 £11.82
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.46 £10.01
$10.05 BBD 20.10
33.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,735 £1,290
$264 BBD 527
557.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.7K £15.4K
$7,296 BBD 14.6K
184.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.5 £66.5
$57.4 BBD 115
56.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.65 £33.19
$37.93 BBD 75.9
17.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 £77.1
$100 BBD 201
3.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £75.7
$92.8 BBD 186
9.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 £1,055
$685 BBD 1,370
107.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 £847
$550 BBD 1,099
107.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,313 £1,720
$1,728 BBD 3,456
33.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,837 £1,366
$1,218 BBD 2,435
50.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,858 £4,355
$3,493 BBD 6,985
67.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,550 £3,383
$3,550 BBD 7,101
28.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,230 £2,402
$1,298 BBD 2,597
148.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.75
5.62
2.31%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barbados: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $200 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,031 in London and $588 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $1,445 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 533% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 127% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 2225% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 121% higher in United Kingdom, 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
United Kingdom vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Barbados and United Kingdom compare in cost of living?
Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 186% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Barbados and United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Barbados or United Kingdom?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Barbados, contributing to the overall 186% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $3,000 go in Barbados vs United Kingdom?
$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Barbados and United Kingdom?
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.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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