Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Alexandra, Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Alexandra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vancouver and in Alexandra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $278 in Alexandra.

Vancouver $2,725
Alexandra $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $455 in Alexandra.

Vancouver $4,039
Alexandra $455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $633 in Alexandra.

Vancouver $5,352
Alexandra $633

Living in Vancouver is roughly 882% more expensive than in Alexandra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 100% above, Alexandra is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$30.36 BBD 60.7

-41.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$3.47 BBD 6.95

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.53

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.33

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.50

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.97

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

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

$82.5 CA$115

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

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

$1,080 CA$1,508

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.64

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,533

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,201

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,704

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,289

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,215

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Alexandra

–

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Alexandra

–

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Alexandra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Alexandra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Alexandra

–

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Alexandra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Alexandra

–

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

1,382

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Alexandra 6,980 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Alexandra

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

Vancouver vs Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 90% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,087 in Vancouver and $416 in Alexandra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1054% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $278 in Alexandra – Alexandra is about 90% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $2,725 in Vancouver, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.