I've just been told that i've got a job in barbados!!! YES!!!! It been 6 months to get to this point, now I just need some idea of what i've got myself into.
I'll be starting at the end of the summer in St James. My question is how much do we need to live? Hannah and I have 3 kids aged 7,5 and 1. We also have a baby due in May. How much should we allow for housing,schooling and food? We're an outdoors family and the kids are happiest on the beach or in the pool and we don't have any expensive habits(other than having kids!) That's enough questions for now, thanks.

Congratulations on the job...

School - depends where you send them, 2 of the more popular ex pat and currently ok (ish) to get into are...

Codrington - around 5,000 BBDS a term per child
Providence - around 3,250 per term per child

...these are the ratesfor non nationals but you should contact them fairly promptly about spaces for when you need them.

Housing around St James - prob around 5,000 bbdos a month maybe more depending exactly where you choose.

Food - allow around 2,000 bbdos a month I guess...

Just some (very) rough ideas

S

p.s. I just had a baby here and it cost around 8,000 bbdos

thanks so much for info thats really helpful, we wont be moving out there until after the birth probably be late summer. will stay in touch and hope it all works out. thanks again.

Congratulations on the Job and I hope your family including new baby have a great time and a great new lifestyle.

congrats on the job simon-hannah and the children and coming birth..

Codrington is going to cost you a minimum of 8000.00BBD per term for an expat student. I don't know about Providence as I've never priced it.

Your school of choice may depend on how long you plan to stay and whether you have girls or boys.. I would refer you to St. Gabriel's for either girls or boys for a primary school, but if you have girls and are looking to be here longer than 3 or 4 years (due to the change from primary to secondary education) I might suggest either St. Winifreds or St. Angelas as both of these primary schools have All Girls Secondary schools attached. The child will still have to take the 11plus exam but because easier for them to continue on in the school they are already a part of. Read the schools part of this forum for more into).

Rents for houses on the west coast (well just about anywhere really) are going to depend on the location and size, but I would say likly between 5000,00 and 15,000BBD per month (I might be a little on the high end, but maybe not.. again, depending on location, size, if it has a pool or not etc)

Food - with 3 children and depending on what you eat, your food bill maybe higher than you think. We spend an average of about 500.00 a week in grocery bills sometimes lower,sometimes higher depending on what we get.. With smaller children (which you have it might be less,mine has grown as the kids have grown), but also factor in Diapers and baby foods which are not on the cheap items list.

are you coming here on an expats salary or will you be working as a local. It will make a big difference especially with rents. (not in what you pay, but the fact that your company would/should pay that, not you).

Good luck

OMG!!! So John did say I could live on teacher salary (crossing my fingers for one of the esteemed private schools you all have been discussing). I am moving from the U.S. and have a place. The figures above are a little scary. Can I get any more confirmation on this from anyone??

Hi Simon and Hannah:

Congrats on the new job. You will love life here in Barbados.

As far as schools go, I would first talk to someone from the Ministry of Education. They can provide the best advice regarding your choice of schools. The private schools can be very expensive so it is best to explore all your options.

Follow this link for the contact information of the ministry of education:

http://www.mes.gov.bb/contact.cfm

A friend of mine runs a Montesorri (sp.?) school. I will get her contact information and she will probably be able to give some good advice on local schools for the 5 year old and perhaps for some good babysitters should you fancy a night out one of these days.

As far as rent is concerned, you could probably get something (3 bedroom) for Bds$2500 if you know where to look, although as your rents get to $4000 - $5000, you will have more and better choice, four or more bedrooms, and possibly a pool.

As for food, you could easily spend $2000 a month for the six of you, but you can save money if you shop at the market (for vegetables) as opposed to the supermarket, and choosing wisely (staying away from expensive brands and eating more fresh and less processed food).

Feel free to ask other questions about life here.

John

Tiayad:

There is a big difference between expat and local salaries, as expats are paid competitive salaries compared to what they could get elsewhere in the world and are given lots of benefits such as housing and cars. Construction, in particular, pays very well as there is a building boom going on at the moment.

What costs in particular would you like clarified?

I was surprised when you mentioned that the private schools pay scales were in line with the government schools.

I would write the Ministry of Education regarding any openings in government schools to ensure that the salary guidelines I gave you were correct.

John

RE the contacting the Ministry of Education. if you DON'T ever want to get a reply, go ahead and e-mail them. As an expat you could try to get into one of the Government schools, but you have to apply to them as well (had expat friends years ago who did sent their children to a govt school. had to get special permission to do that.. very interesting).

Wee Pals in Upton is a good Montessori School. Close to the southcoast, and easily drivable if you are living in St. Philip.

I would recommend possibly renting a place on the south coast, and you may find something for around 2500.00 but as John has said, more money will get you something larger and more comfortable.

John and Tiayad I'm not 100pct sure about teachers salaries, but I don't think there is much difference in Govt or private, as both, in some, but possibly not all cases, are members of the Barbados Union of Teachers, who pretty much govern the teachers salaries. of course Codrington or Providence may pay more based on their tuition charges. (lets hope so).

Cars are another issue. They are not cheap to purchase unless you get an old used one... so be prepared to pay or take the bus.

you may want this put into your contract as well.

Glad to see I am not the only one up late in Barbados.

As far as dealing with the Ministry of Education, once you can find the right person you can gets lots of interesting and relevant information. But, you are right, it can be frustrating at first.

Thanks for the info guys. We're browsing schools and areas, looking for somewhere Hannah and the kids will be happy. I'm used to a 1 hour + drive to work every day so we'll live near schools, shops and beaches and I'll commute to work. The company have offered a salary plus car and housing allowance but we are still discussing details before my contract is sent out. Things are a little delayed as we're waiting for an enviromental report before we can start major works, but we're hoping to be over there in the next six months. I'm sure we'll have lots more questions as things progress, thanks again.

Hi,

I can warmly recommend St. Winifreds School, my daughter attends this school since a few weeks. Cost is around BD$ 2.100,- per term, depends on the form, she is in Junior 3. Everything there, including security etc., is very good, I am very satisfied with our choice. The only negative thing is that traffic there is horrible, but I am getting used to it now.

Reg. housing, it all depends on what you expect. You can also get a 3-bedroom house for BD$ 2.000,- if you are looking long enough and if you don´t have too high expectations.

Simon and Hannah:

A friend of mine has a Montessori school. Her name is Angelique Bjerkhamn and her e-mail address is [email protected]. Just tell her I gave you her name.

Regards

John Da Silva

Hi John,

My daughter goes to that school, I can testify it is a great pre school!

Sue