prettykittykat

Hi all,

Can someone help me get an idea of what the following costs? I'll be there shortly but I'm really curious now after all the comments I've had here at home from friends and not so well wishers telling me I'm crazy for going to Barbados. ahem.... (this might help others too) Thanks in advance.

1 litre of milk
pack of cigarettes
loaf of bread
6 beers (not in a bar)
pint in a pub
potatoes
manicure & pedicure
Eyebrow wax
cheese
brick of butter
a couple chicken breasts
orange pekoe tea bags
coffee (for a coffee maker)
Box of cereal (lets say corn flakes or bran flakes)
A can or bag of dried lentils or black beans

There's so much more obviously but these are the first things that come to mind. Thanks for any responses or help in advance.
cheers - Katie

Sunniebgi

Have a look at www.supercentre.com website and see if that can help on the foodstuff side. I don't really do mani's and Pedi's.. soo can't help there..

good luck.

sandgirl

Hi few examples> At Yin Yang Savanna hotel : Eye brow wax 35$ Mani,50$ Pedi 75$, at Chakra spa (Accra Hotel), Mani 60$ Pedi 80$ Eybrow 30$ Thats at the South Coast, West coast prices are Higher example Coral Reef Spa: Mani 120$, Pedi 130$ Eyebrow 60$ coralreefbarbados.com/spa-menu.pdf
All Prices listed in Bds$ from 2009 -so not sure if up to date - just to give you an idea

neal brown

It depends on where you shop, the Yin Yang spa/clinic is quite good,Super center is our most expensive supermarket,Jordans and Carlton supermarkets are much cheaper.Coral Reef is also expensive,there are hundreds of small local salons in Bridgetown that is quite cheap.If you shop like a local you can save money,if you shop like a tourist its going to get expensive.

prettykittykat

Thanks for the link that's a great help and the mani / pedi information too. My goodness that's pricey for eyebrows. Sheesh. Good thing I don't have to get it done all that often.

Serendipidy

Wait until ya spot the price of Tampax lmao!!! oh and bring all ya contraceptives with ya - just got a shock with that one!

Cuchullain

Don't forget to calculate your grocery costs in relation to what you will earn here in Barbados..... Some things seem expensive, some things seem cheap, when looking in from the outside and counting your dollars, euros or pounds..... When you get here and start earning Bajan dollars (if that will be the case), the seemingly expensive items will seem exorbitant and the seemingly cheap items will be quite expensive!!...... Wages are well below what can be earned in U.S., U.K., Ireland etc (if one could get a job in those places :-))

Bajan Police

Does seem very expensive but then the up market hotels are catering for wealthy guests so I guess the hike their prices up.
Neal I thought Super Centre was much cheaper than Jordans, only used the one in Speightstown though.

pgtips

Excellent point raised here !!! With so much non essential items imported into the islands now, thing are getting so expensive. however the islands are still not the most expensive places to live in the world. I suppose the closer you live to large groups of expats, or the heart of tourism, the more expensive things will be. When my parents grew up in the caribbean, they grew most of their food, baked their own bread, and even sometime would catch their own fish. Nowadays everything seems to stem from the supermarket.

Hardly anybody had mortgages in those days. You just inherited a piece if land and slowly built your house without getting into so much debt, how things have changed. Land prices are so expensive now, the locals have to take a mortgage just to buy the land, then a further mortgage to build their house. Add this to the fuel, grocery and other bills, and boy does this add up, especially on islander wages, and remember barbados is one of the better paid islands.

At least if you are coming from the UK, and have hopefully built up enoigh savings or equity to purchase a property and vehicle outright, shop sometimes in the local markets away from the tourist centre, maybe become proficient with a fishing line, and grow some of your own food, you won't starve.

Serendipidy

Would be really interesting to actually test the theory on the supermarkets - I shopped at Emerald City in St Phillip the other day and it was definitley more expensive than Big Bs which is my local - Big Bs is one of the major tourist supermarkets. Also found that in Carlton Black Rock although i can buy smaller bags of veg that the ave item is not necessarily cheaper

Would be interesting if we could actually get some comparisons so we can see if its a myth re the tourist supermarkets ie:

Small Tub Margerine
Anchor Cheese
Weetabix (Small Pack)
Small Pack of Mince
Small Bag of Potatoes

I only chose these items as they are likely to range in price i think eggs bread milk etc is local so kind of stays the same - any other suggestions let us know - I can supply prices from Big B

Sunniebgi

I thought I had posted to this discussion, re the supermarkets but I guess not.

My husbands family has shopped at Big B for I can't even begin to tell you how long. It was the one supermarket we shopped in 17 years ago when I moved here. it had no connection to the supercentre chain, as there were no chains at that time. at one point I started working on the west coast and found, after Super Centre Holetown was opened and the chain was formed (with Jb's and Big B.. not related originally) that the store in holetown was more expensive.. I was told by the head marketing guy that wasn't possible.. and he was "shocked".. shall we say, when I gave him specifics.

Anyway.. I don't consider the SuperCentre Chain to be tourist, but many of the products they do bring in are geared to tourist. Milk, Bread, meats, poultry etc. are regulated (mostly).. you will only ever get a cheaper price at Pricesmart who can get buy more from the local manufacturers because they buy in more bulk.

having said all that.. you can by Local or regionally produced foods in most, if not all supermarkets.. will the price be any cheaper?? possibly not because it costs more to produce those things here (having said that, things made in Trinidad or another island that is brought in will be a Caricom product and is likely less expensive than even a Barbados produced product.).

Sooo. As Neal said.. you can top like a tourist or like a local. but my preference is to buy what you want, if you can afford it.. or if it's cheaper .. it's your business..

I'll say it again.. I don't agree that the supercentre chain is anymore tourist related than Carlton, A1, Emerald City (which I also also found more expensive, but I did find products that the others don't sell) Jordans, Trimart etc.. take your pick..

neal brown

Well i have been shopping at Super Center Holetown for 30 years now and i still shop there,but most items are more expensive than the rest of supermarkets.
If i go to Jordans in Speightstown the same dog food i pay $16,i pay $20 at Super Center,coffee is also more expensive,baby milk $27 in most supermarkets $30.at SuperCenter, Pampers,local cheese,fruits,hygene products,snacks,chocolates,Tropicana orange juice,ham,yogurt,flying fish,local pot fish,all these are more expensive at supercenter i can give you a long list, so next time you going shopping take my advise please put your glasses on and shop around and compare prices,my mother sells food for a living for over 25 years and she will never shop at Super Center.

neal brown

But i can say when it comes to good sortiment,clean sorrundings,good hygene
nicely packed shelves and lots to choose from, i will give SuperCenter an A+ for its clean sorrundings,when it comes to low prices...C+

Sunniebgi

I understand what you are saying Neal, and I've lived here long enough to know. I'm also not adverse to stopping into Bridge Supermarket (which is waayyyy more expensive than supercentre, and also Market Hill supermarket but quick pickup items.. but those are "convience stores" and by definition are going to cost more.

I don't go to Jordons or the other because it would cost me more in gas than it would to go to Big B or Trimart. These are the 2 places I shop. I do also purchase many things at Pricesmart and shop smart because I do buy in bulk which also saves me money.

So we have said.. If you are on the west cost, near Fitz Village, shop at Jordons (nice family by the way). In speightstown, try whomever is there. but if don't go out of your way to save a buck, because honestly, your going to spend more in gas than the buck you would have saved.

Serendipidy

Thats a good point Sunnie - wow you in Big Bs and Trimark too bet we know each others face by now lol

By the way if you guys are anywhere near Fitz Village there is a lovely lil Bar up there that does karaoke on a friday night- bajan owned but think they lived in uk for a while cos they got that bar working hard for them - nice smart lil bar and they sell food and a lil loca supermarket and an outside area - nice to see such a good use of a small area - its a lil gem