Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Barbados

Name: Barbados
Address: BB

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbados: $2,128 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $2,128 in Barbados, rent included.

United States $2,734
Barbados $2,128

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $3,587 in Barbados, rent included.

United States $3,985
Barbados $3,587

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $5,047 in Barbados, rent included.

United States $5,235
Barbados $5,047

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Barbados ($278–$2,488), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 28% higher than in Barbados on average.

Both the United States and Barbados are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Barbados by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$19.87 BBD 39.75

0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$101 BBD 202

-20.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.79 BBD 21.59

9.36%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.38 BBD 10.77

3.16%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.96 BBD 3.91

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.56 BBD 3.11

39.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.48 BBD 4.96

146.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.04 BBD 8.08

96.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.63 BBD 7.26

-71.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.80 BBD 5.59

28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.86 BBD 7.72

17.10%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$5.59 BBD 11.17

-23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$7.27 BBD 14.55

81.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$10.58 BBD 21.15

19.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$10.12 BBD 20.23

73.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.93 BBD 9.86

7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.52 BBD 7.03

-51.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.94 BBD 11.88

-25.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$6.39 BBD 12.78

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$5.43 BBD 10.85

-45.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.96 BBD 7.92

-20.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.71 BBD 5.42

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$8.08 BBD 16.16

35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.20 BBD 32.40

-7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.00 BBD 4.01

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.10 BBD 6.19

22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.71 BBD 3.43

13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$51.9 BBD 104

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$9.35 BBD 18.70

-61.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.94 BBD 5.89

-36.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$40.33 BBD 80.7

-26.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.01 BBD 4.01

-49.25%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$37.2K BBD 74.3K

-22.64%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.8K BBD 77.6K

-32.45%

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

$218 $218

$172 BBD 345

26.47%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$50.6 BBD 101

23.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$77.3 BBD 155

-3.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$70.7 BBD 141

-40.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$11.46 BBD 22.91

28.27%

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

$1,489 $1,489

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$6,174 BBD 12.3K

308.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.63 BBD 99.3

9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$29.36 BBD 58.7

45.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$103 BBD 205

-8.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$82.0 BBD 164

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$885 BBD 1,770

87.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$820 BBD 1,639

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,828 BBD 3,657

46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,996 BBD 3,993

8.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,443 BBD 6,886

-4.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,532 BBD 7,063

-29.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,433 BBD 2,866

199.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.39

-21.93%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Barbados

$820 38.5% 39.2% $528

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Barbados

$423 19.9% 1.8% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Barbados

$300 14.1% 15.4% $55

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Barbados

$291 13.7% 11.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Barbados

$119 5.6% 13.4% $18

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Barbados

$83 3.9% 3.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Barbados

$94 4.4% 31.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $983 in Barbados. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $1,177 in Bridgetown.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $2,071 in Barbados. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 65% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 53% more in Barbados.

Public transport is 68% more expensive in Barbados.

Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

1 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

303,431

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 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).

BBD to USD in detail →

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United States Barbados 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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

United States vs Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbados is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $983 in Barbados.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Barbados, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Barbados is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.