Barbados, Bridgetown

Overview

Barbados, Bridgetown The City of Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as an important financial, informatics and convention centre in the Caribbean region.

Barbados is a Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela. The climate is tropical.

The official language is English. The main religion is Christianity.

The economy of Barbados has transformed itself from a low-income economy dependent upon sugar production, into an upper-middle-income economy based on tourism and the offshore sector.

Barbadians are generally conservative in the way they dress (arms and legs should be covered when not on a beach) and in their behaviour (personal space is respected, honesty and humility are important). Business meetings tend to be formal and punctual with Western-style suits or a modest dress. Businesswomen hold positions of authority.

The security risk for expatriates in Barbados is low. Risks include petty crime such as theft, street crime, and vehicle theft particularly in Bridgetown. Other risks include those associated with hurricanes and tropical storms.

The currency of Barbados is the Barbados Dollar (BBD), fixed to the US dollar.

Medical facilities are adequate but limited and expensive. Serious or complex medical treatment may require evacuation which can be expensive. Cases of Chikungunya virus and Zika virus have been reported. Dengue fever is common.

The population of Bridgetown is 110,000 (2019 est.), while the inflation rate (CPI) is 1.1% for Barbados as at February 2019.

Xpatulator Hypothetical Tax for Barbados is based on the current personal income tax rates which are progressive up to 33.5%. The basic rate of income tax is 16% for the first 35,000 (BBD) of monthly taxable income, and the higher rate is 33.5% for monthly taxable income in excess of BBD 35,000.

Cost Of Living

The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Bridgetown as at 1 July 2019 is very high in comparison to other places in the world.

In Bridgetown, the cost of each basket, based on local prices, compared to the international average, is categorized follows (Exact cost of living percentages only available in personalised reports):
1) Alcohol (where available) & Tobacco: High
2) Clothing: Very High
3) Communication: Very High
4) Education: Very High
5) Furniture & Appliances: Average
6) Groceries: Very High
7) Healthcare: High
8) Household Accommodation: Average
9) Miscellaneous: Very High
10) Personal Care: High
11) Recreation & Culture: Very High
12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Very High
13) Transport: Very High

Bridgetown is for example 55.2% more expensive than Houston TX for groceries, 20.5% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and 136.1% more expensive for transport costs than Dubai.

Bridgetown is ranked as a some hardship location.

The hardship premium for Bridgetown for an expat from Perth, is for example 10%, i.e. host location (Bridgetown) premium of 20% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

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The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Bridgetown as at 1 July 2019 is very high in comparison to other places in the world.

Bridgetown is ranked as a some hardship location.