Is Curaçao cheap to live?

Curaçao is mid-priced for the Caribbean and a touch below the US average, but expensive compared with the developing-world averages people sometimes expect from a Caribbean move. The moderate single-person benchmark is $3,100 per person per month, against $2,700 in Aruba, $3,450 in the Bahamas, $3,800 in Cayman, and a US average of $3,525. Housing is the main saving: a one-bedroom in Willemstad runs $800 to $1,250, and outer neighbourhoods can be 25 to 40 percent below that. The catch is imported goods: groceries, vehicles, electronics, and household items run 30 to 50 percent above mainland US prices because Curaçao imports nearly everything. Utilities are expensive too (air conditioning is the main driver). Eating locally and accepting imported-goods premiums is the way the budget stretches. For the full breakdown, see our Curaçao cost of living page.