Beating Cancun in Mexico by a small gap, Guadeloupe is still affordable in so many ways. Aruba of the Dutch Caribbean still takes the helm as the priciest in the region. The most intrepid travelers still brave high prices and high waves in the Caribbean as they know how to expand their budget, and the key is good information.
How Is the Economy in Guadeloupe?
The economy of Guadeloupe is largely dependent on agriculture and industry, business, mainly around tourism, and public service. Since colonial times, the archipelago was big on agricultural exports of sugarcane, but when the sugar market became less profitable, the department was forced to put its focus elsewhere in agriculture. Eventually, they found value in other crops like bananas, which has contributed 50% to the island’s earning from export.
Other agricultural products include eggplant, coffee, cocoa, pineapples, and flowers. An off-shoot of the archipelago’s sugar cane export is Rum production and export, now making up an important part of Guadeloupe’s agricultural economy.
Apart from agriculture, another moneymaker of Guadeloupe is tourism. With a rich and diverse biosphere combine with its bountiful natural beauty, Guadeloupe leans toward tourism to keep the archipelago afloat. Often considered as the island’s economic engine, tourism contributes a significant portion of the department’s income. Thanks to its beautiful beaches, awe-inspiring natural sites, and interestingly mixed culture, visitors flock by the thousands from all over the world, with US Americans leading the numbers.
Public services are also central to Guadeloupe’s economy, with the sustenance brought about by salaries of government officials and aid from mainland France in the form of allocations and grants. Alongside the public sector, jobs in commerce and manufacturing also help give the people a certain economic power and bring in profit to the islands.
Is Guadeloupe a Rich or Poor Country?
Guadeloupe, although being a territory of a powerful European country has an economy almost independent from the mainland. Guadeloupe can’t be considered an uber-rich country, but it isn’t a poverty-ridden country either. There is still a significant lack of jobs in the market, and natural disasters and recent diseases plaguing the population aren’t helping either.
Is Guadeloupe Expensive to Visit?
Guadeloupe isn’t exactly the cheapest island in the Caribbean, but the good news, it isn’t the most expensive either. Keep in mind that the archipelago is French and thus uses the Euro, so the prices might take aback because they can be higher than expected for the region.
Prices of food and gas, given that you will rent a car, can seem particularly high if you’re comparing it to North America, and if you come from other countries outside of the Americas. However, a family or a duo can find reasonably priced things to buy, restaurants, and even accommodations. Just think of higher prices, like expensive gas as an offset to a whole lot of perks on the island, like driving to beautiful sites, and seeing them for free.
If you’re traveling alone, a daily budget of 236 USD or 199 EUR, or 1,649 USD or 1,390 EUR for a week would suffice. If you’re traveling as a duo, you might find better deals and split costs and prices accordingly. However, it is always best to compare costs with other tourist meccas like Cancun, in Mexico’s Yucatan, or the famously expensive Aruba, all of which lies in the Caribbean.
Using US Dollars, let us compare three tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Cancun, Aruba, and Guadeloupe. A reasonably priced meal in an inexpensive restaurant in Cancun costs around 5 to 10 USD, while in Aruba it can cost around 10 to 35 USD, and in Guadeloupe it costs 5 to 14 USD, almost beating Cancun in affordability. Another thing worth comparing is the price of simple grocery store purchases. A liter of milk can cost 1 USD in Cancun, 1 to 2 USD in Aruba, and Guadeloupe.
You can already surmise that Guadeloupe isn’t exactly the cheapest but it isn’t the most expensive either. Nothing still beats a well-budgeted trip, with good consideration of the local prices of the desired destination.
Is Living in Guadeloupe Expensive?
After comparing all the prices, and weighing the budget, Guadeloupe can be pricey, almost above mid-range for the Caribbean area, but still, nothing beats Aruba. The archipelago is, after all, French and is subject to Euro prices so it can be expensive even for US Americans. A well-budgeted trip and smart ways to turn your spending around are still key. You can always ask experienced travelers how they spent money in Guadeloupe without hurting their pockets and breaking the bank
How Much Does a Holiday to Guadeloupe Cost?
It depends on how long you’re planning to stay in Guadeloupe. But, for perspective, with the estimation of previous travelers to the island, an ideal daily budget for a single person is around 236 USD, and 1,649 USD for a whole week.
If you’re traveling as a couple or a duo, a weekly budget for two would be 3,298 USD is good enough. However, the advantage of traveling in duos or groups is that you can always split most of the costs, and tour packages have special prices for duos and groups.
If you’re going as a family, you can expect that the island will be extra-welcoming for families or big groups. Tour and accommodation packages tend to have better deals for groups of more than three.
What Money Do They Use in Guadeloupe?
As an overseas department and region of France, Guadeloupe is, by all means, French, and thus subject to the French republic’s laws and rights, including currency. The archipelago uses the Euro as its official currency. A lot of travelers may be taken aback by this as Euro is one of the most powerful currencies there is in the world, making prices a bit higher than expected for the region.
Can You Use US Dollars in Guadeloupe?
US Dollars are expected in many establishments but chances are, you might be given Euros for change. However, you can’t rely entirely on US dollars as not every establishment on the archipelago will accept US dollars. It is best to use major credit cards for larger purchases, but you have to check with your issuing bank first before any overseas purchase.
It’s smart to bring Euro cash for smaller purchases to avoid any mishap, like changing exchange rates, or worse, the establishment won’t accept anything other than Euro. In this case, you will need your ATM card to withdraw Euro cash in international banks across Guadeloupe. Most of them might be in Basse-Terre or Point-a-Pitre.
What Is the Best Currency to Use in Guadeloupe?
Wherever you go, the local currency is still the best to use. In Guadeloupe’s case, the Euro. As a part of France, using the local currency will present a lot of advantages when it comes to small purchases, whereas using other currencies which may have their set of disadvantages like changing exchange rates.
The US Dollar is powerful anywhere, however, even the currency itself has disadvantages in many situations. Plus, not every establishment on the archipelago may accept US dollars for cash payments.
