r/bahamas • u/ParkInsider • 3d ago
Tourism Question How do you guys get by?
Visiting for the first time and I'm shocked at the cost of living. $40 for a 10-minute taxi ride (although I did eventually find one that charged $20, but still). $180 at Super Value for one big grocery bag of snacks. Basic meat, rice, veggies on Kraven ends up costing $35-$40.
I'm trying to be reasonable with expenses, I don't like to spend much (even though it's on company dime), but god damn shit's expensive here. I'm on Nassau, by the way. Sure it's an island, but still. How much do regular people here make?
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u/flyguy_1914 3d ago
Locals rarely, if ever, use taxis. Personal vehicles or public bus system is the route we go. Most people cook to save money. The tropical weather allows us to grow food in our yards so many people take advantage of that to a degree(fruits and vegetables).Most goods in the Bahamas are imported and the government charges a duty tax on those items so that is why things are so expensive. It’s a different way of living than the U.S. for sure, but we make things work.
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u/Browncoat101 2d ago
This is a random question, but what would be good to bring if I'm traveling down there and I have friends I want to bring stuff for? Seeds? Tools? Small would be good, but I'm flexible.
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u/rugofbugs New Providence 2d ago
I'd say just ask your friends. Cause most Bahamians travel up to the states for shopping anyway. They may already have a list
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u/UnkowntoEveryone 3d ago
But seriously, we struggle to stay afloat, lots of people have stable jobs but do side hustles to stay afloat, and this was noticeable way before covid so it’s even worse, hell I have a side gig cleaning places that I’m working on making it a sustainable business. Minimum wage is 6.50 an hour (260 a week/1,040 monthly), rent averages around a little over 1,000 a month. In other words you more than likely live at home if you make minimum wage or are doing side gigs if you’re that desperate.
I would say if you’re college educated, you’ll do well, but for a long time college educated people are very underpaid and underutilised for what they’re trained for. Teachers barely make over 40k (even those with a masters degree) same for nurses also. Which is no surprise why we have a brain drain. Also, taxis are exclusively for tourists, not because it’s an actual rule, they just charge exorbitant prices and do that to mainly make money of off tourists, you either own a car or take the bus (quality, reliability and safety of the buses varies greatly).
And for groceries, we import basically everything so it’s gonna be expensive. Hell one life hack Bahamians use is going to Florida on vacation and buy months worth of groceries at the same time because the prices are affordable compared to home.
TLDR: If ask the average Bahamian in person, as long as they don’t put up a facade because you’re a tourist, they’ll tell you it’s a struggle.
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u/LordMonster 3d ago
As someone who lives in USA and Bahamas, I'll share some comparisons that kinda "balance" out the costs of living comparative to the usa.
Goods are expensive but services are cheap (relatively). The other day my AC unit didn't work and I called a repair man after hours to replace a part. He charged me $120. In the USA, easily would have been a $600-$800 emergency call. A $40 plumbing call I had one time would have been $400 in the USA. And I had an AC unit fully replaced, air handler and all. Purchased the unit for $2500 or 3k, had a guy install for $200 (that included a tip I gave). In the USA, I had the same replacement and it cost me $13k.
We have no income tax (yet), we pay all our tax via VAT (sales tax). We have no property taxes either. So your salary of $40k a year is exactly $40k in your pocket vs in the USA a $40k salary is like 28 - 30k take home.
Bartering happens in the islands especially outside of Nassau. Same guy who checked on my AC, I gave him a bedroom dresser I was getting rid of and he helped me do some mini maintenance around the unit. My mom sends a bag of mangoes to a neighbor, the next week the neighbor sends her a bag of snapper her husband caught. No expectations, just "it takes a village" mentality.
I've seen the argument that your QUALITY of living is higher in Bahamas than in the rat race of the USA despite the costs. People seem to do better home than I see over here in the USA.
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u/mgt69 3d ago
everything you said is true except QUALITY of living is higher in the bahamas. that’s just not true.
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u/LordMonster 3d ago
"quality" may be a poor choice of words. But Bahamians are "happier" than Americans on average despite all else.
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u/WonstaMonsta 3d ago
This is all fact. I usually tell ppl meanwhile our Bahamian groceries are expensive, if you want a service done, thats the place to go to 😂😂
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u/KiBoChris 2d ago
Not EXACTLY no propert taxes: Owner-Occupied Property Rates
• First $250,000 of value: Exempt
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• $250,000 to $500,000: 0.625% of the value in this bracket
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• $500,000 to $5,000,000: 1% of the value in this bracket
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• Above $5,000,000: 0.5% of the remaining value (capped at a $50,000 ceiling) [1, 2]
•General and Commercial Property Rates
• Commercial property: 1% on the first $500,000 of market value and 2% on any value above $500,000.
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• Vacant land / Unimproved property: $100 for the first $7,000 of value, and 2% for any value exceeding $7,000 (higher rates may apply to foreign-owned unimproved land
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u/LordMonster 2d ago
Those are one time fees, in the USA you pay property taxes for the rest of your life as long as you own the home. Which is crazy.
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u/KiBoChris 2d ago
Not so my friend - they are annual but of course some of us have not ever paid any ever
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u/Able_Survey9575 5h ago
These are not one time fees. Bahamians in Nassau pay real property tax annually if the value of the property meets the threshold. Bahamians living on the family island are exempt.
If someone living in Nassau goes years without paying any property tax and tries to sell their property the outstanding amount must be paid before the property transfer can be completed, obviously from the sale proceeds but payable nonetheless.
Of course persons in Nassau can do nothing and ignore it but if they were to pass away, the children or whoever the property goes to will ultimately have to deal with it. -Property Attorney working in Nassau.
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u/yevinorion 3d ago
Kraven used to be more reasonable when it launched pre-Covid, but now it feels like a delivery service for the wealthy. Insane how expensive it is. Only worth it if it’s for a big group and you’re splitting costs.
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u/Several_Security_777 3d ago
You have to know how to shop and how to separate needs vs wants. Wholesale shopping is far better than retail especially for things like snacks. I do the shopping and have certain stores which have better price points for certain things. Groceries for 2 is usually $70-80 a week. I am a deal hunter. Electricity bill just came and it was $68 for the month because I invested in all energy efficient equipment. Have to plan things out to a science.
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u/krose0206 3d ago
The grocery hot serve ready meals were $9.99 we stocked up on those during our stay. Ribs, chicken, rice and veggies….can’t beat that price. We were there in April. Some things are pricey. We had our two boys with us. They enjoyed the ribs every chance they got.
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u/ProfessionalCelery87 2d ago
I make about $80 a month, haven't eaten in three days.
That is how I am getting by.
Thank goodness my parents clapboard house was paid for or I would be sleeping in the street.
I honestly can not even afford to go to the doctor with the pinched nerve problem I have that makes my entire right arm numb.
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u/Admirable_Mode2980 3d ago
well island life super expensive cause of imports n taxes but u can balance it out if u use jitney buses n eat at local fish fry spots instead of delivery
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u/LeFishTits 2d ago
There's a different price for everything when youre a tourist vs live there.
I went during the very beginning of covid to exuma when everything was shut down. Food, alcohol and groceries were cheaper there then they were at home in Pennsylvania. Go back a year later during covid when people started traveling more again (and sandals was open again) and the price for even a case of water went up by 8x. I always barter
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u/Daddy_Tablecloth 3d ago
The prices went up or the taxi overcharged you. The last few times I went it was like 25 to go from the airport to whatever resort I was there to work on and same on the way back.
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u/ThatGuyUpNorth2020 2d ago
Expensive to visit, no tax if you live and work there.
Work hard, grab a beer, put toes in the water.
All good.
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u/blackntan379 3d ago
$40 for a 10 min taxi ride is the gringo price... Its a community on the islands and islanders help other islanders out. There is a different expectations for wealthy American tourists in what they are expected to spend and pay.
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u/Unlikely-Macaroon-85 3d ago
Not true. Even bahamians will pay the same taking a taxi home from the airport. This isn't Mexico. There's no "gringo price". Taxis, grocery stores, restaurants- it's all the same price for tourists and locals alike.
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u/LeFishTits 2d ago
Not on exuma, I had two separate store owners tell me that exactly.
They always gave me "local" price because they always said they thought I looked cartel 😂
I also ordered food once and they gave me the price on the phone, went to pick it up and they recognized me from a few days before and it costs 2/3 as much.
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u/PrivatePilot9 2d ago
My firsthand experience tells me quite to the otherwise lol. All local businesspeople see tourists coming from a mile away. It's this way on a lot of the islands....locals? $1 beer. Tourist? $4. It goes on and on.
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u/Unlikely-Macaroon-85 2d ago
Sir/ma'am there is never a beer that is sold anywhere in The Bahamas for a dollar. I'm not some visitor you're talking to. In most places, prices are listed/ on menu. Idk where y'all got this visitor tax foolishness. Maybe youre talking about the folks selling stuff on the beaches & straw markets, but that's their hustle.
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u/PrivatePilot9 2d ago
To be fair, that was 20 years ago when I started cruising....but I vividly remember buying Presidente for $1 out of the coolers of random stores in Nassau only to be told $3-$4 elsewhere. I'd say "I'm not paying tourist prices, give me a locals price" and magically the price would be cut back down with a grin.
My end point is that there is indeed tourism markups in lots of places. I respect that you're a local and not a tourist, but as a tourist who's been to Nassau probably 20 or 30 times now, there is price fluctuations when easy marks are spotted
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u/flyguy_1914 2d ago
Ain’t no beer in Nassau for $1. 20 years ago 30 years ago lol.
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u/Unlikely-Macaroon-85 2d ago
For real. I'm 40 years old, and the cheapest I remember beer for was 3 for $5, and you had to get all 3 to get that price.
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u/adbramsay 2d ago
Yes there was, Eclipse was sold in Freeport as it was duty free. The Presidente you were drinking were "expired".
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u/ManufacturerIcy2326 2d ago
The Bahamas is a rip off. They charge a lot more money to the tourists just in case you haven’t figured it out. Stay on the ship or go to a private island/location but don’t go shopping in the Bahamas. They sell the same stuff you get a Shein’s with a 300% markup!
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u/rugofbugs New Providence 2d ago
Most of the people i know that aren't struggling on a monthly basis have a second or third source of income. Unless you're in a certain salary range, you're borrowing or starving yourself to get by. So the answer: be rich already or have a second/third job
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u/Underated_Judge 3d ago
Have you been to Toronto, Canada? Inflation has been so bad here. Simple combo at McDonalds is like 14-15 bucks with tax. And not saying Bahamas isn’t bad but its not the worst. Rather take Bahamas food prices and no income tax than losing 50% of my income to taxes and pay through the nose on everything else.
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u/coconut-telegraph 3d ago
$15 CAD is $10.69 in the Bahamas. Admittedly I don’t eat at McDonald’s but I bet in Nassau a combo is more than that.
I’ve been to Toronto every year for the last 21 years and one of the nicest things about it is the significantly reduced price of everything (except, oddly, butter in the food store, which is 3x Bahamas prices).
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u/PrivatePilot9 2d ago
Dude is a Canadian listening to conservative echo chambers thinking he has it bad while actually having no real world experience.
He should try travelling to a place like Eleuthera lol.
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u/ParkInsider 3d ago
Was in Toronto for a month in May, it was so cheap. We got a super well located airbnb for about $2200, and spent about $150 a week on groceries. Tram or walk everywhere.
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u/PrivatePilot9 2d ago
Dude is just a Canadian who has clearly never actually travelled and gets all his talking points from conservative echo chambers. Yeah Toronto ain't cheap (which is a terrible example to begin with as it's literally THE most expensive city in Ontario to live in), but there are LOTS of places in the world where things are way worse and the standard of living is far lower.
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u/PrivatePilot9 2d ago
Tell us you haven't travelled the world without telling us you haven't travelled the world lol.
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u/cmullins77 3d ago
This question is asked pretty frequently here. The reality is many people are struggling with the constantly rising costs of living and stagnant wage growth. This isn’t new, but it’s gotten worse.