The Caribbean island of Barbados, one of the most popular digital nomad destinations in the world, has a living cost of $1262 per person per month.
And for a family of four, the cost of living is $2807 per month.
Barbados’s cost of living is 1.35 times more expensive than the world’s average cost of living.
If we have to compare the cost of living in Barbados with the United States, it is 40% cheaper than the USA.
If you lived in the USA instead of Barbados, you would pay 10.7% less for restaurants, 25% less for transportation, and 81% more for housing.
How expensive is food in Barbados?
Your monthly costs for food should run about $488 while living in Barbados.
Food is usually expensive in Barbados. Some meals or food items are 2 times the US price.
What you can get in the USA for $15.20 will cost about $29 for food in Barbados.
You should expect to pay around $29 for a basic meal with a drink at an inexpensive restaurant.
For a fast food combo meal at a mid-range restaurant, you’ll pay $10 only.
The prices for locally grown fruit and vegetables are, without a doubt, reasonable; tomatoes are priced at $3.9 per kg, $2.91 for 1 kg of potato, and $2.76 for 1 kg of banana.
You can purchase one kg of cheese for $11.9, and 1 liter of milk is about $3.27.
In terms of drinks, the average price for beer in a pub is $2.56, and $5 would get you a cup of cappuccino. Coke and water in most cities cost $1.52 and $1.29, respectively.
What are the rental prices like in Barbados?
The monthly budget for accommodation in Barbados is $594 for a single person.
Many expatriates are paying $688 for a 1-bedroom apartment in the downtown area.
The rental cost of apartments drops significantly outside of the city center.
You should expect to pay $440 for a 1-bedroom apartment outside of the city area.
If we’re looking at the price of a 3 bedroom flat in the city center, it is around $1380 per month and $788.91 outside of the city area.
If you’re interested in buying an apartment in the city center, you should pay $1714 per square meter.
How expensive is transportation in Barbados?
You should expect to spend $8-75 per day on transportation in Barbados.
The monthly transportation expense shouldn’t exceed $60 for a single person.
The standard bus fare in Barbados is around $0.99 only.
Therefore, it seems economical to buy a monthly public transit pass that costs around $55.
As an alternative, you can hail a taxi, and the starting fare of a taxi is $10 only.
A journey of 8km in a taxi in the downtown area is priced at $27.
On average, hiring a car costs around $40 a day.
You should definitely take into account the gasoline prices; it costs you $1.75 for 1 liter of gasoline.
If you’re considering buying a new car, you should know that a new Volkswagen Golf 1.4 or similar car costs $39,375 against $24,050 in the USA.