FIRE Number for Barbados, Barbados

This is a tight budget for Barbados. Import duties push groceries to roughly double mainland US prices, utilities are expensive, and even basic private health insurance costs more than in Latin America. A one-bedroom apartment in Worthing or Hastings keeps you near the south coast beaches, but you cook at home most nights and take public minibuses. The beach is free and the Bajan culture is warm, but there is little financial cushion.

A three-bedroom villa with a pool on the west or south coast, or a beachfront condo, provides a comfortable home. You dine at west coast restaurants like The Cliff and Lone Star for special occasions, own a car, carry premium international health insurance, and sail or golf regularly. The island's compact size means everything is within 30 minutes. Housing and groceries still take large shares of the budget due to Barbados's high import costs.

A Sandy Lane estate or sprawling beachfront compound on the platinum coast with full household staff — cook, housekeepers, groundskeepers — anchors daily life. You dine freely, fly first class internationally, own a boat, and have a nice car. Housing takes a very large share of this budget because Barbados's top-end real estate is priced at international luxury levels. The island's safety, English-speaking culture, and established infrastructure make it a polished but expensive Caribbean base.