For meals, transport, tips - whats the safe amount to carry in Bahamas ? Trying to plan a daily budget for a month long trip
I toured several islands on US $85 daily - hostels around US $35, street conch fritters US $7, and laundry and bus fare around US $8 total. Budget travel in Bahamas can be realistic at US $80-100/day. Add US $20/day for snorkel gear rentals or naturalist tours. Always budget extra for tip culture - US $2-3 per meal and occasional captain tips on water tours.
For 10 days on Andros Island I averaged US $95/day. Accommodation was US $35, meals US $15, and boat dives hit US $50-120. Bahamas trip budget can drop to US $80/day if you avoid upscale resorts. I added US $1,000 for diving and sightseeing. Taxis and inter-island water taxi fares run US $10-30, and tipping boat staff US $5-10 per trip is expected.
I lived and worked in Freeport for six weeks with a daily spend of US $140. My studio Airbnb was around US $60/night, meals were US $20-25, and local transport plus coworking added US $15. Cost of living in Bahamas for digital nomads tends to fall between US $120-150/day if you want a comfortable setup and some work routine. Groceries are pricey, so eating local is smart. Budget US $4,200-4,500 for a month with buffer.
I spent a month island-hopping between Nassau and Eleuthera on around US $110/day. That covered budget guesthouses (~US $40), local lunches (~US $12), taxi or jitney rides (~US $8), and occasional boat trips (~US $30). Bahamas daily budget for low-to-mid-range travel starts at about US $100-120. Tips are customary - 10-15% at restaurants and US $2 per ride. Car rentals, inter-island ferries, and snorkeling tours will drive the total a bit higher.