How Much Money Should I Take To Barbados

Barbados is known for its earth-grade beaches, golf courses, and rich cultural history, not its affordability.

But with year-round sunshine, delicious rums, and white sand beaches, as well as some of the best surfing in the West Indies, is Barbados a country worth paying actress for? Information technology almost certainly is!

The only problem with planning a trip to Barbados is working around your budget. The island consistently ranks equally one of the most expensive places in the Caribbean, stacked with luxury hotels that charge upwards of $grand a night.

A quick browse of available options may have many potential travelers canceling their plans before the brawl gets rolling, but if Barbados is the place for you, then I'm hither to help you get there.

While Barbados is expensive, it is still possible to run across paradise on a budget. In this comprehensive budget travel guide, I'll walk yous through the ins and outs of traveling through the island just similar the Bajan men.

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Table of Contents Evidence

So, How Much Does a Trip to Barbados Cost on Average?
Cost of Flights to Barbados
Price of Accomodation in Barbados
Cost of Transport in Barbados
Toll of Nutrient in Barbados
Price of Alcohol in Barbados
Cost of Attractions in Barbados
Additional Costs of Travel In Barbados
Some Final Tips for Saving Money in Barbados
So is Barbados Expensive, In Fact?

So, How Much Does a Trip to Barbados Cost on Average?

In this guide, my calculations will cover all the basics and their boilerplate costs. I'll be showing you how much the post-obit volition cost:

Somewhere to sleep
Somewhere to eat
A way to become effectually
Something to do (nightlife, embankment days, and everything in betwixt)

Before I get into the nitty gritty, it'south a proficient time to be clear: costs for a trip to Barbados are constantly irresolute, and realistically, it'll exist more than expensive next week than it is today.

My concluding trip to Barbados was a chip earlier gas hit $xv a liter. And it's important to note that prices for travel are consistently increasing at a rapid rate, and information technology's only a matter of time before inflation makes its mark on Rihanna's homeland.

It's as well important to think that Island nations are rarely considered great budget destinations. Sure, there are ways to count the pennies and scrape by in Barbados, simply visiting this island paradise is all about extravagance.

Save the budget trips for S American Hostels, and expect to pay a bit more for a genuine piece of the island life.

The official currency of Barbados is the Bajan Dollar, but this commodity volition provide quotes in USD. As of June 2022, ane USD = 2.02 Bajan Dollar. That makes for some real piece of cake calculations. Separate every local cost in half to empathize the exact strain on your checking account.

two Week Trip to Barbados Costs

Then, let's dive in with some broad estimates for your next ii week trip to Barbados.

Is Barbados Expensive
Expenses	Estimated Daily Toll (bare Minimum to Accented Maximum)	Estimated Total Toll (Blank Minimum to Absolute Maximum)
Average Airfare	$750-$4000	$750-$4000
Accomodation	$twoscore-$1500	$560-$22500
Transportation	$8-$80	$112-$1120
Food	$30-$100	$420-$1400
Alcohol	$0-$50	$0-$700
Attractions	$0-$150	$0-$2100
Full (Excluding Airfare)	$78-$1880	$1092-$26,320
A Reasonable Average (excluding airfare)	$300	$4,200

Cost of Flights to Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $750 – 4000 for a circular trip ticket.

Your flights and accommodations volition fight information technology out for the about expensive aspect of your travel budget. Then but how much does it cost to wing to Barbados? Depends on where you lot're taking off from.

Airlines' comically complicated pricing algorithms are e'er changing. Yous tin try all the tricks in the volume (booking on Tuesday, using a VPN, constantly scanning GTFO) but in full general, the cheapest month to fly from New York to Barbados, according to Skyscanner, is September.

Every major city volition accept different cheap times of the yr, largely congruent with the coldest months and school holidays.

A glance at cheap flight sites led me to the following average round trip ticket prices from some of the largest international departure airports

New York to Seawell: $750
London to Seawell: £900
Sydney to Seawell: $4000
Vancouver to Seawell: $1600 (Canadian dollars)

There is only one international airport on the island, Grantley Adams International in Seawell, Christchurch. You'll find direct routes with simply 7 major airline companies, so it'south slim pickings when browsing for a deal, unless you're willing to spend 60+ hours in various airports.

Your all-time bet is to head through the USA and book well ahead of time to take advantage of some early bird specials, and if you can take the kids out of school, heading down in September tin can save hundreds of dollars.

Price of Accomodation in Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $100-200 Per Day

Accommodation will be the second largest, or even biggest travel expense beyond booking your flights. High finish villas and spread-out resorts boss the island and greatly increase the average nightly costs, just there are still a few hidden gems that tin can greatly reduce your accommodation budget.

Your all-time bet for saving money volition exist scouring through Airbnb or waiting to greenbacks in some credit menu points on the correct hotel chain. While you will notice a few hostels on the island, the not-and so-glittering reviews should make you lot call back twice almost saving a few bucks.

Wherever you choose to stay in Barbados, make sure y'all set a proficient portion of your budget aside for this.

Hostels in Barbados

Hostels are any broke backpackers best friend, only you won't detect much refuge in sunny Barbados. The good news is, there are a few budget accommodations on the island, and their per dark prices are similarly priced to the smatterings of hostels you'd find in Europe or Australia.

The bad news is, some of the reviews are downright harrowing. Budget backpackers can put upward with a lot, particularly afterwards a mean solar day's worth of rum, but there'south ever a limit.

There are 2 "hostels" that seemed reasonable, one on each side of the island, and the prices really weren't bad. Neither one of these hostels had shared rooms, which makes the $28.fifty a dark average price a fleck more tempting.

Rio Guesthouse – Located close to the airport on the more affordable Due south Side of Barbados, all rooms in Rio come up with a fan or air workout, a kitchen, and all the essentials to enjoy a few days in paradise. The stunning reviews make this guesthouse by far the safest selection for upkeep accommodation.
Angler Apartments – An affordable Oasis in Barbados' tourist friendly but more expensive west coast, this 'hostel' is really a grouping of 8 independent apartments with plenty of privacy.

AirBnb's in Barbados

When looking for vacation rentals in Barbados, you can notice a few huts and individual rooms as low equally $17 a nighttime. The average nightly price for an unabridged place in Barbados, however, is $397.

This number is skewed heavily by the fact that such a small island somehow has more than 400 stays that toll more than $1450 per night.

Realistically yous can find about 30 places to stay under $150 a dark that still proceed high reviews and high levels of service. Staying in an flat is all about an intimate experience. These places come with much less staff, and perhaps no open up bar, but with an entire kitchen and more space to yourself.

Airbnb, for meliorate or worse, has revolutionized finding vacation homes. Head to their site and select your desired filters to settle on your dream vacation home. Here are our 3 favorites, one budget, one moderate, and 1 high end.

Prospect St. James Studio – for less than $forty a nighttime yous and a partner tin plant yourselves in a classic Bajan Neighborhood, walking distance to the beach and several shops. You'll come home to a lovely garden and a quaint outdoor sitting expanse and salvage room in the budget for scuba diving.
Lovely Coastal Caribbean Home – you tin can find space for the whole family without breaking the bank, as long as you're willing to rent a machine. Tons of space to stretch out after a day at the embankment smack dab in the more affluent due west coast.
Sea Cliff Cottage – Go alee and treat yourself at this one of a kind adaptation. You can walk to an often empty Foul Bay Beach, enjoy the sunset on the cliff, and go out enough of time for soaking in the private pool in your itinerary.

Boutique Hotels in Barbados

Boutique hotels are Barbados' bread and butter. Yous'll find many loftier end resorts that are some of the virtually expensive forms of accommodation on the island, but you'll also detect a few hotels with incredible value that may outrank many Airbnb's for shorter stays.

Many budget hotels kickoff every bit low as $60 per night while fancier Beachfront villas will hands fix you back $400+

You often get what you pay for when it comes to hotels. While there are always a few diamonds in the crude, staying in hotels is all about fresh sheets, beautiful locations, and extra amenities.

I recommend stashing out a large portion of your budget to brand sure your hotel is at least walking altitude to the beach, if not beachfront, because that'southward the whole reason to come to the island anyways.

Coconut Courtroom Embankment Hotel – You can practically walk hither from the airport, but you'll feel a world abroad at this beachfront paradise hotel choice with kitted out suites, three restaurants, and live music.
PomMarine Hotel – This hotel is staffed completely by the islands hospitality and culinary students, give the hotel a unique charm. The free breakfast sure helps sweeten the deal.
All Seasons Resort – Barbados's West Declension is the tourist majuscule of the island, and that is reflected in the steeper prices shown in the area's accommodations. This All Seasons Resort is one of the more affordable options with a poolside bar and free shuttle service.

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Cost of Transport in Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $eight-80 per day

The whole isle is but 430 square kilometers, so it'southward not all that difficult to go around. That also ways locals don't bother with any elaborate transport systems, so yous'll likely choose between a car rent, private tours, and good old fashioned reggae buses.

The toll departure between these three is staggering, and the bus arrangement is miles ahead of Los Angeles's, so at that place is a lot of room in your transport budget to save some dollars if you don't mind walking to the bus end.

Train Travel in Barbados

Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore. In that location is no train system whatsoever in Barbados currently, and you'll take to expect elsewhere for transport.

Barbados simply isn't big enough to justify a rail organization, and although British immigrants did build a railroad arrangement in the late 1800'southward, they forgot to accomodate for loftier tide, and the tracks were shut down in 1937. Pesky moon!

You lot may yet observe some remnants of the tracks dotting the coastline on your flight in, and if you time your trip just right, you can take a personal tour of the tracks along side the Colin Hudson Great Train Hike.

Every third Sunday in February hikers, runners, and walkers fix off at half-dozen am from Independence square in Bridgtown and follow the length of the defunct tracks.

Bus Travel in Barbados

I would say that Bus Travel is Barbados' greatest hidden jewel. Especially between Bridgetown and the West Coast of Barbados, you're likely to find a government operated or private minivan that will give you a lift, fast.

The bajan public send arrangement consists of vivid blueish buses with yellow stripes, privately endemic 'reggae buses' known for loud music and quick stops, and smaller white vans (I know what information technology sounds similar, merely whatsoever white van with a ZR license plate is sketch-free.)

These buses are really some of the near convenient ways to see the isle, especially the Rocklyn Omnibus. This open sided ship serves as a scenic tour of the South and Due west coast that is mode more affordable than any individual tour.

The standard fare for public buses is BD$ii, and they don't take foreign dollars, so get some modify in your pocket and explore merely like the locals.

Renting A Car in Barbados

Is it worth renting a car in Barbados? That will largely depend on where your adaptation is. Without renting a motorcar, y'all're largely at the mercy of public send or private taxis, and so if your house is out of the beaten path y'all'll exist walking a long way in the hot sun before getting picked up.

By off the beaten path, we're basically talking far outside of Bridgetown or Speightstown, also known as anywhere on the North or Due east Coasts.

Gas in Barbados is not cheap, so you should really consider public transport before renting a motorcar. Many hotels will offering transfer service to and from the aerodrome likewise as shuttles to popular tourist destinations, so if you're going to splurge on accommodation you lot can utilize that as a justification.

Here's what the cheap end of the rental motorcar market looks like:

Daily Rates: $44
Insurance: $xvi
Gas: $two.two per liter

These numbers certainly aren't going down anytime soon. Desire to save some cash and still explore Barbados by rental car? Use rentalcars.com to find the all-time bargain possible. There are some great prices on the site and they aren't hard to discover.

Want to save some real cash? Have the bus.

Cost of Food in Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $thirty-100 / day

An unspoken aspect of island life is how long it takes annihilation not grown on an isle to striking the shelves. Y'all might not notice information technology at an spread-out, which will typically feature the exact same food you're used to, only imported nutrient in Barbados ain't cheap.

Your food upkeep should largely depend on your accommodation, mainly whether or not yous take a kitchen. It should exist piece of cake to talk yourself into spending a few extra dollars on a nicer Airbnb by telling yourself you'll spend more than time in the kitchen, but don't forget – this is a vacation!

Treat yourself to a few nights out, peculiarly a famous fri fish fry, and you won't regret the splurge.

Because of the seclusion, Barbados' nigh famous eats are all about seafood:

Cou Cou and Flying Fish – Flight Fish is Barbados' national dish. The cou cou is a combination of cornmeal and okra that come together to make a saucy blanket for delicious fish dish that you can find for $7
Pudding and Souse – Saturdays are Souse fourth dimension. Get this traditional weekend pork and sweet spud effeminateness at diverse vans for $five or just caput to the Sous factory to get it direct from the source.
Macaroni Pie – Bajans just telephone call it pie, and it's ane of the most popular sides on any traditional $x lunch special.
Roti – A chicken and potato roti is one of the most popular Bajan street foods, likewise equally 1 of the cheapest and nigh filling snacks on the island at less than $i per Roti.

Where to Eat Cheaply in Barbados

You shouldn't expect to find amazing deals or the freshest produce at the supermarket. Nonetheless, eating out ofttimes will always add together up significantly to your trip costs. Walking a fine line between the two is the all-time way to eat your way through Barbados without spending your unabridged upkeep.

Y'all can find inexpensive and plentiful fried fish, fresh rice, and salads at any boondocks on the isle which will requite you a more affordable and more accurate feel compared to restaurants serving up fancier western plates.

Oistin'south Fish Fry – A terminate at Oistins should be on every Barbados Itinerary. Y'all'll get a plate filled with fresh fish, rice, and some macaroni pie, all for $10. Every Friday night the surrounding area is filled with reggae music, cheap rum, and a adept time.
Barbados nutrient vans – Food on wheels is a Caribbean area specialty. Some of the best ribs on the entire island are served in the back of a traditional minivan. You're best off looking for these vans around lunch time well-nigh Bridgetown. If you run into a line forming outside one, that'south the place to exist. Classic Bajan dishes similar Oxtail Stew can be yours for $12.
Chefete's – With a few local specialties similar Roti combined with Buy one get one pizza, Barbados largest fast nutrient chain is a great refuge for quick meals afterward a mean solar day enjoying rum on the embankment. Wraps start at 8$ and philharmonic platters will feed the whole family for $37.5.

Price of Alcohol in Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $10-50/day

Bajans will be the starting time to tell you that the oldest rums on earth were concocted on Mountain Gay. At that place is no such thing equally a carribean destination without a happy hour, and Barbados is no different.

Rum is a religion here, and no trip is complete without sipping your way through the island. Access to alcohol is relatively elementary and highly encouraged. Quite bluntly, it would be a phenomenon to go through a day in Barbados without walking past a bar or liquor store. Nightime comes live on various beach confined and in downtown Bridgetown.

Banks Beer – the national beer is too the cheapest at $4 a canteen.
Mount Gay Rum – This is the pride and joy of the Barbados tourism industry. Information technology may be the oldest rum on world, simply it's still quite affordable. Bottles of Mountain Gay are around $twenty.

Yous can expect to pay similar prices to bars in united states or London. The closer the bar is to the embankment, the more than expensive the cocktails will be, simply you lot can wait to pay about x$ for a premium cocktail or beer at a pricier club.

If you're looking to save some greenbacks, you can pair a quiet spot on the embankment with some local rums for every bit depression every bit $10 a bottle.

Save money past drinking at home, but time your night out just right and yous should notice plenty of two for 1 happy hour specials.

Cost of Attractions in Barbados

ESTIMATED EXPENSE: $0-150/twenty-four hours

Cipher beats a solar day on the embankment, both in price and relaxation, but if your holiday is more than than a few days you lot'll probably desire some space in the budget for stimulation.

The main attraction beingness the beach, ane of the best things to do in Barbados is snorkeling/diving. If y'all accept your own gear, and you lot're willing to become past without boat hire, you can slot a big fat zero into this section of the budget.

Nevertheless, there'due south no amend mode to snorkel than as part of a Catamaran cruise or boat tour, and those volition run anywhere from $80-150 per person, depending on how long you want to get out there. You'll notice all sorts of boat tours prepare to take you to shipwrecks or deep sea fishing.

If you desire to increment your heart rate a bit, Barbados is one of the all-time Caribbean Islands for learning how to surf, and y'all can detect lath rent/lessons as cheap as 25$ per day.

Back on shore yous'll find tours and chance parks aplenty. Barbados' lush interior opens itself to offroading tours, botanical gardens, St Nicholas Abbey, and groovy shopping in celebrated streets.

My favorite free action in Barbados is checking out some sweet Reggae music. You can find a bar featuring local legends live any day of the week.

There is no way around spending a few dollars for a grand twenty-four hour period out in Barbados. Luckily, a relaxed 24-hour interval on the beach in Barbados is complimentary, and then you tin can decide how yous're feeling each morning.

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Boosted Costs of Travel In Barbados

Everything above adds upwardly to a great holiday, simply traveling is all well-nigh the unexpected. At that place volition always be actress costs popping up, hopefully in the form of unexpected souvenir scores, thrift shopping, and cheesecakes.

Just as realistically, you should salvage some space in the upkeep for things like luggage storage, toll roads, and replacing a few lost items along the manner.

Something around 10% of your overall upkeep should work similarly to a rainy twenty-four hours fund, a coin pot full of cash you hope non to pause into but you won't sweat over spending.

If shit ever hits the fan, it's a whole lot easier to breadbasket the gut punch if you have a budget barrier behind emergency glass.

Tipping in Barbados

The short respond is, yes, you should tip in Barbados.

West Indies Isle nations have tourism downwardly to a science. They trust the tourism sector as one of the state'southward three main economical drivers, which ways anybody you see, downward to your commuter, expects at least 10%.

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Some Final Tips for Saving Money in Barbados

Barbados is not a Bankrupt Backpacker'southward paradise. The island is congenital around catering to the rich and famous, just there is a very real side to this paradise that is absolutely worth a visit, and if you live like the locals practice, you lot tin can enjoy the rum and fresh catch without blowing up your budget.

Budget enough of beach days – The island life is all about escaping from your normal hustle and bustle. Why try to squeeze four adventure treks and 16 dissimilar walking tours into a two calendar week trip? Only grab a few bottles of Mount Gay and soak in the sunday.
Haggle: Don't treat the first price you receive equally the final cost. Exercise those haggling skills.
Don't be naive: At that place are scammers out there and so leave your gullibility at home.
Pack hiking shoes – Information technology may be less than 500 Kilometers in total area, but there are plenty of great hikes around Barbados, all without an entrance free.
Enquire the locals where they eat – Most Bajan's are always happy to help, especially if it means sending some business organisation to their favorite souse spot.
Have a water bottle : Don't waste money on plastic, bottled waters; carry your ain and refill it in the fountains and the tap. If you're worried about beverage h2o, get a filtered bottle, similar the GRAYL, which filters out 99% of viruses and bacteria.
Earn money while yous travel: Barbados is ane of the best countries to be a digital nomad, so if you tin work remotely, this will definitely assistance you beget to live and work in this isle paradise.
Don't count every penny – This is non the place to scrape by. A trip to an island like this ane is a in one case in a lifetime opportunity, then go with a total-on holiday mindset most spending money and just have some fun!

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And so is Barbados Expensive, In Fact?

Honestly, yeah. But that doesn't mean there aren't budget friendly itineraries to be had! Whatever trip to Barbados will likely accept you reaching into the rainy day funds, but it hardly always rains on shore, so it's more worth information technology to get some sun.

The almost crucial way to relieve in Barbados is to await out for minivans. They provide some incredibley affordable transportation options, and (seperately, thankfully) cheap eats that just so happen to exist some of the most authentically delicious spots on the island.

There's just nothing quite like cramming into a reggae double-decker bumping music and cut corners, or being served up fried fish by Mrs. C'southward fish on the go. Looking for buses and picking the right accommodation will help can relish the island just like the locals exercise, and salvage beaucoup bucks along the way.

What nosotros call up an boilerplate daily budget for Barbados should exist:

You tin can have relaxed fun and accept a bonafide vacation for $300 a day. Whether you throw your entire budget at the all inclusive or eat and drink your way across the island is up to you!

Bye for now, but not forever!

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