How to travel the Caribbean on a budget
Last updated on March 23rd, 2025 at 07:32 am
You want to go, but need to travel the Caribbean on a budget?
It’s possible to cut costs way down. It won’t be super budget like South East Asia or some parts of South America. But it is possible to avoid the expensive hotel holidays that the Caribbean seems set up for.
Let’s look at how you can do it!
First a quick guide with important links for your trip
Insurance – Click here for travel cover with SafetyWing – almost any nationality, its ok if you are already traveling, up to 64 years old. Or click here for cover with EKTA – any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling!
Internet – get a highly rated yesim eSim before you go – click here for yours. (Link is to a combined Caribbean countries sim, check for your countries as you may need a separate yesim for some of them.)
Accommodation – book a hotel with booking.com or Tripadvisor, or, a hostel with Hostelworld
Car rental – compare prices and get the best deals with Rentalcars.com
Walks & Hikes – get the AllTrails app for offline maps of the hikes in this area
Tours and Activities – book with Viator or GetYourGuide. My top picks are:
*Full-Day Sailing and Snorkeling Excursion to Les Saintes from Guadeloupe
*Fun-Day with Titou Gorge, Hot Springs & Champagne Reef in Dominica
*Full-Day Tour with Monkeys, Chocolate and Rum Sampling in Grenada
*Mount Liamuiga Volcano Hike (Highest Peak) in St. Kitts
*From St Martin to Anguilla’s Dream Beaches Catamaran Tour
*Boiling Lake Hike in Dominica
Caribbean on a budget
The big costs of course are transport, accommodation and food. After that there are the ‘excursions’ and other extras.
Transport
On a budget there are three main ways of cutting transport costs
a. Island hopping by ferry
I have written quite a detailed guide to Island hopping in the Caribbean – focussing mostly on the Eastern Caribbean where you can do some lengthy hops without catching a more expensive plane. For example:
- 10 really diverse Leeward Islands to hop through – all from Saint Martin for $750 in the northern eastern Caribbean
- 7 Windward Islands – from Guadeloupe to St Lucia for $375
- 8 stunning southern Windward islands from St Vincent to Grenada for $150
- 5 southern Windward islands in a loop for $60!
(Note that these costs are all at the time of writing.)
As you can see, with one flight into the Caribbean and another out, you can really get around for relatively little outlay. My pick for the budget conscious is St Vincent to Grenada for $150 – these islands are so stunning and although you may want to add a couple of pricier day trips into the schedule, the cost is minimal.
Also important are the international connections. Currently these islands are quite well connected:
Direct flights to St Vincent arrive from New York, Miami, and Toronto, as well as from other Caribbean Islands such as Barbados.
If you are travelling from the UK a good option, which unfortunately does include an extra flight is to fly direct to Barbados, then after checking that island out, fly to St Vincent.
Direct flights to Grenada originate from New York, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, Toronto, and Frankfurt as well as other Caribbean Islands including St Vincent.
b. Sailing
No, I’m not suggesting you charter a yacht! However, I am suggesting that if time is on your side, you can look for a yacht that needs extra crew and will take you along. Obviously this is not meant to be a free-load. You should be prepared to work on the yacht as part of the crew – doing watches at sea, cleaning, cooking, fixing things and so on. But you will also get to some fabulous spots to enjoy them with the rest of the crew.
Not only will this save you a lot in terms of transport costs, it will also save you accommodation costs. Its not necessarily free as often you are expected to also contribute to fuel and food costs. But for what you are getting – its a brilliant option.
I haven’t written a post on how to get going sailing yet, but please comment if you would like that as it will spur me to push that up the list of ‘to do’s. For starters, try and get some practice at a local yacht club near your home, and check through for crew groups on Facebook. Just a note: Always consider what you can offer them, not what they can offer you, as the first thing!
c. Push-bike
When you actually get to an island, rather than taking expensive tours, hire a push bike. Better still bring your own.
You will really take in the sights and sounds around you, and most likely meet a lot more local people too. And, you can actually go further – without the need for hitch-hiking or tours and taxis. I have hired bikes in a few of these islands and had a great time exploring the slow way.
Accommodation
This is where a huge amount of your dollar spend typically goes, but it doesn’t have to! There are not many hostels in the Caribbean but there are a few, as well as some other cheaper boarding options.
Of course, you can try your luck at couch-surfing, working for food and board or housesitting too. Read on for more details on each option
a. Hostels and Budget Accommodation
The three sites I use to find the best and cheapest accommodation are Tripadvisor, booking.com and Hostelworld. Tripadvisor often has a deal through one of its affiliates – often booking.com! Booking.com has discounts for people that have booked more than a few times through their Genius programme, and Hostelworld focuses on hostels and budget accommodation.
I have given some great options for accommodation below in the Where to Stay section. But these are some examples!
Note that I have not stayed at these hostels unless I specifically say so – check reviews and make sure you are comfortable with what you are booking. The following are just examples of what you can find with approximate costs per night. All places specified have a rating above 9/10 – unless noted!
St Lucia – this hostel with a 9.7 rating has $42 for a dorm bed and $67 for 3 people in a 3-bed apartment – with free airport and ferry terminal pick ups!
Dominica – this one bedroom full apartment costs around $40 for two people
Martinique – the Martinique Hostel has dorms from $27
Guadeloupe – Les Gites de CASITA is a holiday home with a pool for $67
St Vincent – Garifuna Retreat Apartment for $59, Waves Villa Guesthouse with a pool for $100
Unfortunately on some islands accommodation is jut going to cost more so definitely consider the following options if you are on a tight budget.
b. House-sitting
Look after someone’s home, garden and / or pets while they are away. You stay for free and they can holiday in peace. I have found available housesits in St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda on Trusted Housesitters. As I am writing this, there is a great one for a month on St Kitts and another for two weeks in Puerto Rico!
No that does not cover every country or island but that was simply at one point in time and who knows what might be available when you are considering going to the Caribbean. Its always worth a try.
If you click on the link and join Trusted Housesitters you will get 25% off the first years cost through my membership. (And so you know – it will mean I get extra time too.)
c. Work for Food and Board
I use Workaway to find work for my food and accommodation with a local family. Usually you work around 15-25 hours a week. It is a great way to meet locals and get to know daily life in a country.
Always take care when doing this. Check the reviews – how good were the hosts to other workers, what do they expect? Be selective, but it is a great way to go. I have seen positions advertised in most of the Caribbean countries and islands and if you take this on you should have weekends and afternoons to explore. I have just been looking at options in Grenada – the spice island (which, trust me, has the best nutmeg ice-cream you will ever have!)
d. Couchsurfing
Sleep for free staying with locals on their couch or a bed. I don’t really use Couchsurfing any more but these are the alternatives I am trying out. BeWelcome, TrustRoots, and Couchers. I also have joined a few FaceBook groups that have a community that does the same sort of thing. I have stayed with some amazing people in various places, and hosted some amazing people too.
More details are provided in How to sleep for free when you’re traveling around the world– including how to give back and not be a taker.
Food & Drink – a great way to save if you are visiting the Caribbean on a budget
It can be easy to save money on food and eating! Yes those fancy restaurants can be tempting, but what is the value in reality? A few tips to save:
- Cook for yourself – stay at places that have kitchen facilities.
- Eat local street food – make sure it is well cooked and not been sitting a while. Corn is always a good option!
- Make the most of the wonderful fruit and vegetables at the markets – its cheap, healthy and delicious.
- Bakeries are pretty common too and can provide cheap filling food.
- If you do eat out, eat local dishes and seafoods – its cheaper than imported foods and that’s not what you are here for anyway!
- And of course, carry a water bottle. Preferably one with a filter so you can fill up anywhere! Save the money for a nice cold beer!
Excursions, tours and mementos
Even though, this is where I would rather spend my money, it is also where costs can add up suddenly! Ways to keep this to a minimum are:
1. Choose a couple of must-do excursions while you are away, budget for them and stick to that.
2. Shop around for excursions and tours – prices can vary widely for very similar trips.
3. Enjoy the freebies that nature provides. All islands offer swimming or snorkeling of some sort and this can be done from certain beaches in the vast majority of cases. Most of the islands offer some form of short to long hiking – the best from my perspective were Saba, Dominica, Saint Martin / Sant Maarten, St Lucia, Antigua, Barbuda, Martinique, and Guadeloupe.
There are other free entertainment items such as plane spotting at Maho Beach in Saint Martin, or, plan to arrive in time for local carnival and festivals in any of the islands, waterfall chasing / swimming in Grenada.
4. Do you really need souvenirs and mementos? Think before you buy – where will it end up in six months time? Often we buy things that seem a good idea at the time but end up collecting dust or go in the trash soon after.
Bring items to reduce costs
There are a few items you can bring with you to save your budget.
1. Taking up a bit of space – the first on the list is your own snorkels, goggles and small flippers. This will save a lot of hire costs if beaches and snorkelling are you main aim in the Caribbean.
2. A water bottle with a filtration system – this will cut out the cost of a lot of unnecessary thirst-quenching drinks and save on the planet too.
3. Consider bringing your bike if if you are here for a while, and if it doesn’t add too much cost to the flights in or ferries during the trip, and finally- if you don’t mind biking in the tropical heat. Otherwise hiring as you go may be better.
4. Bring a friend who will share costs – often its cheaper for two when it comes to accommodation, and its definitely cheaper if hiring a car becomes the cheapest way to go (sometimes it will be the best option for sticking to a budget), and can sometimes two can even save on excursions or meal cooking.
That’s it – how to get around the Caribbean on a budget. You will see / get /do a lot more for your money if you follow these tips – all you need is the time!
Please comment if this has been useful and what you did to keep to your budget. Is there anything else you would have liked to know?
Where to stay
Book your hotels with booking.com or Tripadvisor, or, a hostel with Hostelworld. There are so many islands that it would take up pages to give recommendations for all, but I provide some on key islands. The following are just examples of what you can find with approximate costs per night. All places specified have a rating above 9/10 – unless noted!
St Lucia
This hostel has $42 for a dorm bed and $67 for 3 people in a 3-bed apartment – with free airport and ferry terminal pick ups!
Tropical Breeze Guest House $70 double and Annes Homestay from $64 single and $73 double
Booking.com and TripAdvisor have apartments and rooms starting around $45 a night.
Dominica
Soufriere Guesthouse has dorms for $23, and Roseau Beach Hostel (8.4 rating) starts around $17 for a dorm bed
Danglez Bed & Breakfast has doubles from $45 and this one bedroom full apartment costs around $40 for two people
booking.com and TripAdvisor have options from around $23 a night.
Guadeloupe
Auberge K-WAN Hostel (7.1 rating) has dorm beds for $37 and $90 for a private double
Les Gites de CASITA is a holiday home with a pool for $67
booking.com and TripAdvisor have options from around $23 a night on Guadeloupe, and the outer islands like Marie Galant have plenty of similar options too.
Martinique
In Saint Luce – the Martinique Hostel has dorms from $27
In Fort De France – the Centre International de Sjour Martinique has private twin rooms from $113
booking.com and TripAdvisor have options from around $30 a night.
Saint Martin / St Maarten
Not the cheapest island – I stayed at Vicky’s Keys which worked well for me and was the cheapest option on the island I could find starting at $45. I did have a car to make it easier. You can cook there which also helps!
booking.com and TripAdvisor have whole apartment options from around $90 a night including this 2-bedroom apartment for $120.
St Vincent
booking.com and TripAdvisor have apartment and guest house options from around $70 including Waves Villa Guesthouse and this Garifuna Retreat Apartment for around $60
Grenada
booking.com and TripAdvisor have options like Mitchell’s Guesthouse, and Big Sky Lodge – both from around $70 a night.
Related Posts
Before you go, check these related posts:
Island Hopping in the Caribbean
10 fantastic Caribbean Islands for your winter getaway
Saba – the unknown Caribbean island for the adventurous traveler
Beautiful Barbuda – the Caribbean island for Princesses
Discovering Montserrat – the “Emerald Isle” with an explosive past in the Caribbean
10 remote and off the beaten path islands for the explorer
and if you are a budget traveler
40 fantastic countries for travelers on a budget in 2025
How to travel after retirement – even on a budget!
12 top tips to travel on a budget in those expensive places!
How to visit the Galapagos Islands on a budget!
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