bchandler02

I did Puerto Rico last year and had a good time. I want to explore more islands.

Anyone know generally which islands tend to be the cheapest/most expensive? Primarily focused on meal/entertainment costs, I can search hotels and flights on my own.

Thanks!

WWGuy

My experience has been that food on most Caribbean islands is expensive, especially produce, meat, and dairy products. Most food items preferred by American tourists are produced in the U.S.A. and elsewhere. Shipping, storage, and refrigeration add incremental costs. The exception to this may be Mexico and some Latin American countries like Belize and Honduras, which may be large enough to produce many of their own items. But food produced in these countries comes with it's own gastrointestinal challenges for North Americans. A great way to save some money on food is to find accommodations with a kitchen and cook your own meals.

I'm not sure what you mean by "entertainment", as this comes in many forms. For example, we like to scuba dive and prefer to dive from shore at our own pace. So we visit Bonaire for several weeks each winter and pay $150/week, per-person, for unlimited scuba tank rental. Others staying on the same island may pay the same amount for a day's worth of guided diving from a boat. If golf is your thing, you may be able to get 18 holes in for $150 to $175. Sitting on the beach and reading a good book is pretty affordable.

cmhua777

Dominican Republic is, IMHO, the best value (cheapest) of the islands. Most hotels are all inclusive, so for a very reasonable price you will get your meals and entertainment covered.

If you want a more a la carte island that is still relatively inexpensive I would suggest Curaçao.

If you are a bit more intrepid, go to a Venezualan island and take advantage of their currency situation yielding a strong dollar (on the parallel market). San Andres is also inexpensive, relatively speaking.

menton1

All Caribbean Islands are going to cost a lot. (Depends on what you mean by expensive). But they are not a cheap vacation, by any means.

Someone mentioned Mexico as cheap, but I wouldn't qualify Mex as a "Caribbean Island".

The most expensive are probably the Turks & Caicos, followed by the BVI. Cheaper? You can probably get very good deals on Trinidad. Has a lot more factories/industry than most islands.

WWGuy

I was referring to the Mexican island of Cozumel. Popular tourist destination and cruise ship port, direct flights to the US and Canada, located in the western Caribbean.

bchandler02

Thanks all! will check out these ideas.

dontcallmecass

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rankourabu

I found St.Martin (French side) to be great value.

Barbados too can have good value, or it can be brutally expensive.

bluwater

Very expensive: PSV, Mustique, St Barth.

Recreation

St. John is very expensive. However, to get there you fly into St. Thomas. There are a few grocery stores that are reasonably priced and close to Red Hook, where you take the ferry over to St. John.

Crazyhotelguy

I found the best values in Cozumel, St. Marten, Barbados, and DR.

Kay_nyc

One more vote for the DR. I just spent a week on the Samana peninsula, and spent close to nothing. My folks have been to Punta Cana several times, and say the beaches are the most beautiful they've seen. The Mexican Riviera Maya is not an island, but it's affordable, has great beaches, and you can easily organize day trips to amazing archeological sites. I haven't been to Jamaica, but it also looks really affordable.