Living life like a Barbie in Barbieland looks like a dream, but how much would it really cost someone? Here’s a breakdown with both Barbie self-funding her life and getting brand deals like an influencer.

The world has been captivated by Barbie since her release in 1959. In her now iconic black and white striped one-piece bathing suit, Barbie stepped on the scene as the first doll with an adult appearance marketed to children. As Greta Gerwig conveyed in her first Barbie teaser, which dropped in December 2022, before Barbie, there were mainly baby dolls for little girls to play with.

There had been conversations around the Barbie movie for over a decade, but in 2018, Warner Brothers acquired the rights to the film, with Margot Robbie cast in the titular role in 2019. Gerwig was announced as the director and co-writer, along with her husband Noah Baumbach, in 2021, and just last year, photos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set of the film spread through social media, causing what can only be described as Barbie mania.

The appeal of Barbie has always been that she can do anything, that she has an endless closet full of clothes, and that her boyfriend, Ken, who was introduced in 1961, was nothing more than an accessory. In 1959, Barbie was introduced as a teenage fashion model, but through the years, the doll has gone on to become an artist, a teacher, a detective, an actress, and of course, the first female president, among an endless list of careers.

The world's adoration for Barbie has only increased with the upcoming release of Gerwig's film, and Warner Brothers hasn't held back with its unapologetic promotion. Malibu Barbie Cafes have popped up in major cities like New York and Chicago, and stores like The Gap, Pacsun, Bloomingdales, and Aldo have all launched their own Barbie collaborations. Most recently, Airbnb joined in on the promo, offering fans a free experience at the Malibu Barbie mansion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29qSyN665c

Aqua told the world in 1997, "Life in plastic, it's fantastic," and with Barbie mania at an all-time high, it seems like everyone wishes they could live life like a Barbie girl in Barbieland. However, Barbie's pink wonderland, though an escape from reality, would cost a pretty penny to maintain in real life.

Living in Barbie’s Dream House Could Cost You Millions

One of the most enviable aspects of Barbie is her pink dream house. Barbie's first house was released in 1962 and cost between $4-$8, depending on where it was being sold. Most shockingly, the house, which was made of cardboard, had only glimmers of pink but was mostly yellow. This starkly contrasts the Barbie dream houses of today and the one that appears in Gerwig's film. The house has evolved over the years from Barbie's townhouse in 1974 to 2023's pink dream house that includes a pink slide from the third story to the ground and a wheelchair-accessible elevator.

Gerwig seems to have taken inspiration from the newer Barbie houses to create the home where Barbie lives in the movie. Robbie showed off the home in a video on the Architectural Digest YouTube channel, presenting the fully stocked fridge, wardrobe, and slide that leads to an inaccessible pool that is actually just blue plastic covering the ground. Barbie's house also has no walls, which doesn't seem to be a problem in Barbieland where it's always warm and sunny.

Living in Barbie's home looks like a dream come true, but how much would it actually cost? Thanks to Airbnb, a few Barbie fans will get a chance to spend one night at the Malibu Barbie home, which is the closest anyone will get to living in the house from the movie. The Airbnb is bright pink and includes the same slide from the movie leading into a fake pool. Luckily, the home also has a real pool with gold pool floats spelling out "Ken," a disco dance floor, like the one where Robbie's character hosts her party, fake green grass, and a cowboy-themed bedroom called the Kendom.

In 1971, a much tanner and bleach-blonde Barbie called Malibu Barbie debuted, based on Sharon Tate's character in the 1967 film Don't Make Waves. Since then, the term Malibu Barbie has been used to describe blonde-haired women who embody the Malibu lifestyle, just like Barbie does. It's widely agreed upon that Malibu is the closest real-life place to Barbie's world.

While the promotion for Barbie’s Airbnb for the theatrical release of the movie is free for the guests who are chosen for their one-night stay, according to RubyHome, the home itself is estimated to cost around $10 million dollars. While Barbie doesn't seem to have to pay for anything in Barbieland, the Airbnb is the closest real-world translation of her Barbieland home, and it's not cheap.

Barbie’s Utility Bill Isn’t Cheap Either (How Expensive Is that Pool Really?)

On top of the $10 million it costs to buy Barbie's dream home, there are several utilities to take into account. Robbie told Architectural Digest that there are no water, fire, or elements in Barbieland, but the average person would have to take these into consideration. Barbie's movie home has a pool, shower, giant bubble bath, and kitchen sink. Living as only one person in Barbieland would significantly decrease the water bill compared to what a family would have to pay. However, maintaining Barbie's pool could certainly add up.

With all Barbie’s amenities, the monthly water bill would fall somewhere around $400.

Meanwhile, Sapling offers insight into the price of maintaining a pool, including amenities like the pool pump, heater, lighting, and other features. Other expenses would be replacing the pool lining if it rips and replacing pumps and heaters over time. There are also the very costly pool chemicals that range from $500-$800 a year. As for the pump price, Angie's List reports the average pump is anywhere from $400 to $3,100. In Barbieland, it's likely the heat from the sun, which is out year-round in the cloud-free Barbie sky, would be enough to keep her pool warm. However, if Barbie wanted her pool to be even warmer, heating could range anywhere from $600 to $700, which would be added to Barbie’s gas bill. Lucky for Malibu residents, SoCalGas reported in March that the average gas bill had gone down from $300 to $100.

As for electricity, these days, a lot of people have saved money on electricity by utilizing solar panels. Barbie saves a ton of money on electricity in Barbieland as her wall-less home depends on solar power. All she needs is the light from the ever-present sun to keep her home warm and illuminated. However, a home Barbie’s size, about 3,500 square feet, without solar panels, could have an electricity cost of about $330 a month.

Barbie Stocks Her Fridge with Groceries 

Barbie also never goes hungry, as Robbie showcased in the Architectural Digest home tour. Barbie's fridge was fully stocked, meaning she must make regular trips to the grocery store. Like the utility bills, Barbie spends a lot less money than a family would on groceries, and it's hard to predict how much food costs in Barbieland. According to the menu for the NYC Malibu Barbie Cafe, one meal, for example, a Beach Burger, costs $49. This is a bit overpriced due to the demand for Barbie in the world right now and the popup restaurant taking advantage of how much people are willing to pay to eat like Barbie for an afternoon. However, it's likely Barbie would shop in some luxurious pink version of Whole Foods or California’s Erewhon.

A container of vital farm organic eggs from Erewhon costs $10.99, while a carton of organic pastures raw milk costs $11.99. Erewhon is also known for its celebrity smoothie collaborations. Models Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber have teamed up with the store for smoothies costing up to $22 a cup. Barbie would likely have her own $22-dollar smoothie at the Barbie grocery store, meaning eating like Barbie is another expense on top of the multi-million dollar home. Though, the cost of all of the items shown in Barbie’s fridge from the Architectural Digest video adds up to about $85.45, depending on the grocery store.

Barbie Travels by Little Pink Corvette with the Top Down and Her Hair Blowing in the Ocean Breeze as She Cruises Down PCH

Lucky for Barbie, when she leaves her dreamhouse to explore Barbieland, she doesn't have to travel by arched foot. She has a pink car to match her home, which drives itself around town. In Gerwig's film, Barbie's pink convertible is based on the 1956 Corvette Stingray. Walmart offers the mini collectible version for $74.97, while Best Buy sells a remote control version for $59.99. According to the Corvette Black Book, a 1956 Corvette had a base price of $3,120 in its year of release. However, in 2023, online sellers list the real-life Corvette, which comes in red, light teal, and black, anywhere from $50,000 to $160,000. Of course, there would be an extra expense for Barbie to get the custom pink paint. According to JD Power, painting a car can cost anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to $10,000.

Unfortunately, car insurance has to be budgeted in as well. Barbie's likely the perfect driver and has never hit another car before, though, she does fly off the road in the Barbie trailer when Ken unexpectedly pops up in her back seat. According to Value Penguin, the average yearly insurance cost for a Corvette is $2,962, but this varies depending on the driver. On top of that, aspiring Barbies also have to factor in the monthly cost of gas, which JD Power reports is $150 to $200 for the average American. Since Barbie has to get back and forth to the city from Malibu and her car gets nine miles per gallon, she is expected to drive over 15,000 miles a year and spend around $900 a month on gasoline alone.

Barbie’s Enviable Wardrobe Doesn’t Come Cheap (Could Each Outfit Cost as Much as a Car?)

While the dream house and pink convertible are perfect accessories for Barbie, one of the most fun things a child can do with their Barbie is dress her up, which is why Gerwig put so much thought into Barbie's wardrobe in her film. Barbie sports a total of 16 different outfits in the official Barbie trailer, and more looks will be revealed in the movie. Barbie's costume designer Jacqueline Durran spoke to Vogue about creating the character's wardrobe and where all the pieces came from.

While not everything in Barbie's closet is designer, she does have quite a few Chanel pieces, as Durran confessed anything she and her team didn't make came from the designer brand. However, Durran didn't just stop by the Chanel store to pick up some clothes for Barbie. She worked meticulously with the company to acquire archive pieces for Barbie to wear in the movie. As all fashionistas know, designer items don't go down in price as they get older. Instead, they're considered vintage, and their prices skyrocket.

One Chanel item that appears in Barbie's wardrobe in the Architectural Digest video is a pink circular Chanel monogram bag. The bag is available in black on various resale sites for up to $20,000. Barbie also seems to favor the classic Chanel tweed skirt and blazer set. The online store Revolve sells similar suits for around $300-$400, while eBay lists an authentic Chanel suit and blazer for $22,000. As Durran points out, Barbie doesn't simply put on a dress or a shirt and pants. Every outfit Barbie wears must be complete with accessories, including earrings, necklaces, shoes, and handbags. Necklaces on the Chanel website start at a little under $4,000 and can be as pricey as north of $120,000.

While Barbie is just a character Robbie plays, the actress has kept up with the plastic doll, dressing in Barbie-inspired outfits for every Barbie press event and red carpet she's attended. Robbie even wore a Pink Chanel Tweed blazer when she arrived at the Sydney airport, wheeling her pink luggage behind her. For Robbie's Vogue cover shoot, she was styled in Valentino Haute Couture, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, among other top designers. She's also been seen in Manolo Blahnik heels on several occasions. The shoes go for about $800-$1,000 on the official Manolo Blahnik website but are available for the much more affordable sale price of $250.60 on the Bergdorf Goodman website.

For other Barbie promo looks, Robbie wore vintage Versace, including a chain mail dress originally worn by model Claudia Schiffer in 1994, and several Valentino looks. Her most talked about Barbie red carpet look so far has been her recreation of the 1980s Day To Night Barbie. Robbie wore the doll's two looks, both created for her by Versace.

There Are Some More Affordable Barbie Looks Too

Though not everything in Barbie's closet is designer, one can imagine the kind of high-end stores she might shop at. LoveShackFancy is one store that surprisingly hasn't jumped on the trend of a Barbie collaboration considering the number of pink dresses on its website. The brand has limited physical stores in locations like New Port Beach, California, Greenwich, Connecticut, and Southhampton, New York. The brand's "Jessilyn Mini Dress," which looks straight out of the Barbie film, is on their website for $495, while pink platform mules that would fit perfectly on Barbie's arched feet cost $1,300.

However, one of the looks from the movie is a little cheaper than the looks Robbie's been wearing in the press. Thankfully, Barbie teamed up with the rollerskate brand Impala for the skates from the viral rollerskating photo of Robbie and Gosling. The now sold-out skates are $189.95, with knee and elbow pads going for $69.95 and Barbie socks at $26.95. Keeping up with Barbie's style is not as easy as she makes it look, and it could put a serious dent in anyone's bank account.

Barbie’s Blonde Hair and Makeup Are Everchanging (Let’s Look at the Kardashian’s Hair Upkeep Costs)

If you thought Barbie's style ended with her clothes and accessories, you thought wrong. Barbie's blond locks are as important to her image as her fashionable clothing. In Robbie's Architectural Digest video, she mentions that the Barbies can change their hair on the daily in a pretty unrealistic way. In real life, it wouldn't be possible for someone to wake up each morning with a different hairstyle and length, but there are two options for aspiring Barbies when it comes to hairstyles; either hire a personal hair stylist or invest in a collection of quality wigs. Wealthy families like the Kardashians are known for their wigs, ranging from about $900-$1,000. As for a hairstylist, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, known for working on Kim Kardashian's billion-dollar hair, has an estimated yearly salary of $3 million.

But it doesn't stop with Barbie's hair. As her style evolves with every outfit, so does her makeup. Large tubes of lipstick in shades of bubblegum pink can be seen inside Barbie's wardrobe, next to her Chanel accessories. A tube of pink Chanel lipstick is available online for $45, while other popular quality brands, like Carolina Herrera, sell lipsticks for about $30.

How Much Does Barbie Have to Make to Sustain Her Lifestyle?

Barbie's lifestyle may look glamorous, but while she gets to live in Barbieland for free, enjoying her lifestyle in the real world could send the average person into bankruptcy. The prices mentioned above totaled together come out to over $10,300,000, with the largest expense being the dream house. Not to mention, her wardrove that would cost around $20,000 a day (if she didn’t live a brand sponsored lifestyle).

According to Property Club, with a jumbo loan and a 20 percent down payment, you would have to make at least $1.6 million a year to live in the $10 million dream house. However, the many other expenses listed above, including the massively expensive wardrobe, would require an even higher yearly salary.

To live like Barbie up until retirement and beyond, Barbie would also need to invest 20 percent of her income into various types of investments, so she can stay glamorous when her income completely depletes itself. Otherwise, the rest of her life will not be as enjoyable as what we see on the big screens.

Barbie, without any brand deals would need $808,482 a month in income to live her dream lifestyle. Here’s a breakdown of exactly where the money is going.

If Barbie were able to get some brand deals, she would need to earn $448,482 a month. This is what her cost expense breakdown would look like:

If Barbie were to have a fully sponsored life, she would still have to account for her mortgage, utilities and gas. Even with that, she would still need to make $98,282 a month. This is what her breakdown looks like without having to spend money on clothes, make up and potentially even groceries and going out:

Luckily, along with Barbie’s endless career options, she can also bring in cash flow from her brand deals. As mentioned earlier, Barbie has a slew of collaborations lately, from Bloomingdales to a makeup line with Nyx cosmetics. She could likely also easily score an ambassador deal with Chanel due to how much she wears their clothing in the film.

“Most people only look at income when trying to design their ideal life,” says Leonard Kim of AdvisorCheck. “However, you have to look at the bigger picture and how you are going to be able to sustain everything. Many people who try to live like Barbie will only focus on the here and now. That is the ultimate recipe to end up bankrupt one day. Instead, you have to look at your life holistically and balance your current success with being able to have a wonderful life in the future as well. That investment area that you don’t see in the screens that we added into her lifestyle is what people just don’t see when it comes to the real life outcome of why so many people who are truly living like Barbie today, are able to sustain their lifestyles for so long,” Leonard continued.

The Average Celebrity Brand Deal Salary (A Look into Paris Hilton’s Extravagant Life)

How much she would make from her brand deals can be explored by looking at what some real-life celebrities have made from their brand deals. Paris Hilton may be the closest thing the real world has to a Barbie doll due to her blonde hair, love for the color pink, and her Barbie dreamhouse-esque closet.

In 2021, Hilton and her husband, Carter Reum, purchased a home in Malibu for $8.4 million. While most people assume the heiress inherited all her wealth from her family, this isn’t the case. Hilton’s grandfather Barron Hilton donated 97 percent of his wealth to charity, meaning most of Hilton’s money comes from her business endeavors. In the early aughts, Hilton was known for reality tv shows like The Simple Life, Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, and The World According To Paris.

However, the star has made her wealth in several other ways as well. According to Women’s Health, Hilton’s 19 product lines have made her $10 million, while her fragrance line, which she founded in 2004, has acquired $3 billion in revenue. She’s also made money from her music, including her 2006 album Paris, from DJing, and, for just $300,000, you can hire Hilton to appear at your party.

In 2022, the hotel heiress partnered with Uber Eats Australia for a series of humorous advertisements alongside the Irwin family at the Australia Zoo. While there’s no say online how much Hilton made, Go Banking Rates has a long list of celebrity endorsement deals, and it’s likely Hilton makes a similar amount with her brand deals as other celebrities. With a hotel mogul as a great-grandfather, the star surely knows how to negotiate a good deal.

The website states that stars like Britney Spears and Taylor Swift made millions on soda partnerships. While Spears reportedly made $50 million with Pepsi in 2001, Swift made $26 million promoting Diet Coke in 2013. As a fragrance ambassador for Dior, actress Charlize Theron reportedly made $5 million a year, for a total of $55 million since she worked with the brand for 11 years.

Barbie Could Partner with Chanel

Barbie is arguably more well-known than Theron and would likely be able to negotiate a higher salary but $5 million a year to promote a perfume is a pretty good deal. Barbie could make around this or higher for a brand deal with Chanel. In fact, Robbie already worked as an ambassador for the high fashion company beginning in 2018. Robbie’s yearly salary from Chanel hasn’t been made public, but Celebrity Networth reports the actress made $24 million from her various endeavors between 2018 and 2019.

Another deal that could help Barbie is her collaboration with The Gap. According to Deadline, rapper Kanye West’s deal with The Gap made $1 billion in sales during its first year, and Bloomberg reported that $970 million of West’s fortune came from the partnership.

Barbie wouldn’t have to make as much as West as her house costs only a fraction of what West’s home does. Though in order to sustain her luxurious lifestyle, she would have to be bringing in the millions that celebrities like Hilton and Swift have brought in with their brand partnerships.

You Can Be a Barbie on A Budget

Maybe you have one of the high-paying jobs Barbie's had throughout her lifetime or have a salary that matches the $12.5 million Variety reports Robbie made as Barbie. If that's the case, congratulations, you can afford life in plastic! If not, you might find living life as a Barbie on a budget more suitable. The Gaps' Barbie collaboration ranges from $34.95 to $99.95, much more affordable than the $120,000 accessories from Chanel.

As for Barbie's Dreamhouse, if you aren't chosen to spend a free night at the Malibu Airbnb, there are a few DIY options. TikTok user @mandacreatespretty shared a video in May of her turning her backyard into a Barbie oasis. The creative bought a $149 small pink above-ground pool on Amazon, surrounded it with pavers, which she later painted pink with concrete paint, and added accessories like a pink cooler, pool floats, and a plastic pink water pitcher. The finished backyard looked like something straight off the Barbie aisle at Target, proving living like you're in Barbieland doesn't always have to cost a fortune.

Luckily, movie tickets are even more affordable, though prices vary depending on theater. If all else fails, just purchase a ticket to the Barbie movie and get lost in Barbieland for an hour and 54 minutes because it turns out life in plastic might be fantastic for Barbie, but in the real world, it's quite expensive.

Regardless of whether or not you plan to live like the real life Barbie or a Barbie on a budget, it’s essential to make sure that you take care of your finances throughout your entire life. That’s where a financial advisor comes in, as they can help you set goals and achieve the financial dreams you’ve always wanted for yourself. If you don’t have a financial advisor, we recommend you look through our database to find one you like in your area.

If you want more fun and super insightful money tips like this delivered to your inbox from a creative perspective, we would love to see you subscribe to our newsletter.

Written by Gina Wurtz, Screen Rant Contributor

Fact checked by Billy Quirk

Reviewed by KJ Kim

Disclosure

The information provided in this article was written by the research and analysis team at AdvisorCheck.com to help all consumers in their financial journeys, by providing the resources and the insights to help improve one’s financial health, make it through recessionary and inflationary periods of time, and save their earnings to use them towards building a secure financial future. 

Unauthorized reproduction or use of this material is strictly prohibited without prior approval. Any parties interested in content syndication, references, interviews, or PR, please contact our marketing team at marketing@aimranalytics.com

AdvisorCheck.com is an independent data and analytics company founded on the principles of helping to provide transparency, simplicity, and conflict-free information to all consumers. As an independent company providing conflict-free information, Advisorcheck.com does not participate, engage with, or receive funding from any affiliate marketing programs or services. To become a free AdvisorCheck member, visit advisorcheck.com/signup