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 $2,360 per month in United Kingdom vs $712 in Barbados, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,237 in Barbados, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,581 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,761 in Barbados, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 231% 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
$20.50 £15.19
$20.15 BBD 40.30
1.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.6 £66.4
$98.1 BBD 196
-8.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.05 £7.45
$10.19 BBD 20.38
-1.37%
Cappuccino
$4.53 £3.35
$4.87 BBD 9.75
-6.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 £1.83
$1.80 BBD 3.59
37.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.33 BBD 2.66
27.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.61 £4.90
$2.57 BBD 5.13
157.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.48 £4.80
$3.95 BBD 7.89
64.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.22
$3.55 BBD 7.10
-53.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 £1.26
$2.64 BBD 5.28
-35.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 £1.63
$3.96 BBD 7.92
-44.44%
Eggs
$3.98 £2.95
$5.47 BBD 10.95
-27.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.62 £7.13
$7.85 BBD 15.71
22.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.02 £6.68
$10.85 BBD 21.70
-16.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.00 £10.38
$10.36 BBD 20.72
35.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 £2.28
$4.17 BBD 8.33
-26.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 £1.19
$3.17 BBD 6.34
-49.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.09
$5.06 BBD 10.11
-44.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.58 £2.65
$3.95 BBD 7.90
-9.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 £1.19
$4.18 BBD 8.36
-61.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 £1.13
$3.16 BBD 6.32
-51.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 £0.86
$2.64 BBD 5.28
-56.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 £1.11
$2.22 BBD 4.43
-32.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.28 £15.03
$7.89 BBD 15.78
157.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.76 £7.97
$15.92 BBD 31.83
-32.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 £2.15
$1.75 BBD 3.50
65.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.43
$2.96 BBD 5.91
10.47%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.25 £2.41
$1.77 BBD 3.53
83.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.6 £71.6
$24.91 BBD 49.82
287.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 £4.01
$15.10 BBD 30.20
-64.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 £1.15
$2.45 BBD 4.89
-36.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.40 £20.31
$40.30 BBD 80.6
-32.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 £1.48
$2.07 BBD 4.14
-3.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.6K
$40.5K BBD 81.0K
-4.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K £29.7K
$37.5K BBD 74.9K
6.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$324 £240
$125 BBD 250
158.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.16 £12.71
$49.94 BBD 99.9
-65.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.46 £31.46
$61.2 BBD 122
-30.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.45 £34.42
$73.4 BBD 147
-36.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.23 £12.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 £9.96
$10.08 BBD 20.17
33.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,720 £1,275
$262 BBD 525
555.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.1K £15.7K
$7,288 BBD 14.6K
189.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 £66.4
$56.5 BBD 113
58.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.89 £32.52
$38.76 BBD 77.5
13.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 £74.7
$102 BBD 205
-1.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 £78.2
$92.7 BBD 185
13.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,396 £1,034
$664 BBD 1,328
110.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 £834
$541 BBD 1,082
108.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 £1,738
$1,744 BBD 3,487
34.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,877 £1,391
$1,219 BBD 2,438
53.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,923 £4,389
$3,479 BBD 6,958
70.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,613 £3,418
$3,450 BBD 6,901
33.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Barbados
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,374 £2,500
$1,149 BBD 2,298
193.69%
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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Barbados: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,267 in United Kingdom vs $198 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,034 in London and $583 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $3,209 in United Kingdom vs $1,303 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 540% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 127% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 2225% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 146% 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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