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Have you ever wondered whether you could afford to visit the Caribbean? Below is our financial spend for our journey around St Vincent and the Grenadines recently. Check out what we did during the fourteen days we explored St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Travel Cost Assumptions
When reading this article, please note that our travel costs are based on a couple travelling together. We are independent, budget-conscious travellers, researching and organising our itineraries using our go-to travel planning tools.
Our travel style is reasonably consistent wherever we go, which is excellent when you want to compare travel costs between destinations and over time:
- Accommodation: We usually stay in self-catered accommodation (homestays, locally owned guesthouses, hostels and short-term rentals) - in our room with (preferably) a private bathroom, though the kitchen and other areas may be shared.
- Dining and Groceries: We usually eat two meals a day at home. But we like to eat out once a day or at least every few days (and prefer locally owned restaurants and small eateries away from the tourist hotspots).
- Experiences: Many of our activities are free or low-cost. When we pay for attractions or activities, we are very selective, as our funds are limited, just like everyone else's (while we're travel bloggers, we seldom get a free ride).
- Transportation: We walk frequently and use public transportation wherever possible. We only occasionally hire a vehicle. The costs to enter or exit a country are not included (though we may include them for reference in the comments).
- Other: Our total daily costs also include mail scanning and forwarding services (as we are location-independent), our mobile phone and data plans, and travel insurance, although only as they relate to the time spent at our destination.
Accommodation
With regard to accommodation costs, St Vincent and the Grenadines has been our most expensive destination to date. It was even slightly more costly than the USA.
How to save money on accommodation
As with any other travel expense, it's worth shopping around to find the best deal. We look across several booking platforms to find the best value-for-money option. Nightly rates are generally cheaper outside of peak season. If you can only travel during peak season, consider accommodation options that are a little further away from the main tourist attractions but offer good public transport connections.
Wherever you book, read the fine print to compare apples with apples. For example, your stay may incur extra charges (like local tourist taxes or cleaning fees). Some booking platforms include them, while in other cases, you may have to pay your host for them upon arrival.
Experiences
Our experiences and activities included downloading and watching Pirates of the Caribbean – a must-see given the number of scenes that were filmed here. We also did a day trip to Mayreau, the Tobago Cays and Palm Island in the Southern Grenadines (a must for anyone in the area) and hired a car for a day to explore St Vincent.
How to save money on experiences
Look for free and low-cost experiences
Many activities (and some of our most treasured experiences) have been free or cost little. On our journeys, we have
- Visited many museums free of charge (including the Colosseum and Forum in Rome, which are free on the first Sunday of the month);
- Attended free guided walking tours around the world (you tip at the end based on your budget and how much you liked the tour);
- Did countless self-guided walks and used public transport to get to know a city;
- Hiked in the Andes in Ecuador and climbed volcanoes in the Caribbean;
- Swam and snorkelled at countless beaches, using tree shade rather than paying for parasols and
- Attended free street performances and danced with locals in Argentina, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Search for free activities at your destination; chances are someone has already made a nice list.
Be selective about paid experiences
Paying for activities and attractions can add up quickly. Therefore, look out for special offers and discount coupons. If you travel in a group, you may also pay to book a private tour and share the cost. And finally, shop around - here are some of the OTAs we use and can recommend:
Securing your currency needs overseas can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. We've saved a significant amount of money over the years simply by knowing what to do (or, more importantly, what not to do).
- How not to get caught out by alarming FX rates and exorbitant commissions;
- How to exchange cash on your overseas trip.
- Which debit/credit card is best for your overseas trip, and
- How do you avoid unnecessary fees when withdrawing cash?
Suppose you need to transfer money to pay for your travels upfront. In that case, we recommend Wise and XE Money Transfer (we use them interchangeably, depending on which one offers the better foreign exchange rates and lower commissions).
Travel Costs Summary Table
| Categories | USD per person per day | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 0.07 | 0% |
| Groceries | 5.84 | 9% |
| Dining | 6.43 | 10% |
| Leisure | 10.92 | 17% |
| Accommodation | 35.54 | 54% |
| Miscellaneous | 0.49 | 1% |
| Finance | 0.11 | 0% |
| Travel | 6.01 | 9% |
| Total USD per person per day | 65.40 |
How much did it cost you to explore St Vincent and the Grenadines?
I wrote this St Vincent and the Grenadines travel costs guide based on our own peronal experiences. If you have explored St Vincent and the Grenadines as well and you have something to add about your travel costs, please feel free to contact me. If you liked my travel cost saving tips and found them helpful, we would appreciate if you could share them with your friends and family via the Share buttons below. Even better, link to the page from your personal blog or social media platforms.
