Curacao on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Curaçao can be done on a budget of about Cg 190 (roughly US$105) per person per day, sharing a guesthouse in Otrobanda or Pietermaai and eating local food. A car is the main extra; without one, the western beaches are hard to reach.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | Cg90 | Cg180 | Cg420 |
| Food & drink | Cg50 | Cg100 | Cg200 |
| Sights & tickets | Cg20 | Cg60 | Cg140 |
| Local transport | Cg30 | Cg50 | Cg80 |
| Per person, per day | Cg190 | Cg390 | Cg840 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Curacao day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk the pastel Handelskade waterfront in Punda
- Cross the Queen Emma floating bridge, or ride the free ferry when it is open
- See the street art and mansions of Scharloo
- Watch the cliff jumpers at Playa Forti in Westpunt
- Snorkel with turtles off the pier at Playa Piskado (Playa Grandi)
- Watch the sunset over the harbour from Otrobanda
Cheap eats
- Stewed goat or fish with funchi at Plasa Bieu, Cg 20-30
- Pastechi (fried pastries) from a snack bar, a few guilders each
- Johnny cakes and coffee for breakfast, under Cg 10
- Grilled meat and sides from a local 'truki pan' food truck at night, about Cg 15-25
- Fresh fish at a Westpunt snack, about Cg 25-40
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in guesthouses and small apartments in Otrobanda and Pietermaai, at about Cg 150-250 a double, within walking distance of the bridge and the bus terminals. There are a few hostels with dorm beds.
Getting around cheaply
Buses (large 'konvoi' and small minibuses) run from the terminals in Punda and Otrobanda for a few guilders but are infrequent. From the airport, a taxi to Willemstad is a fixed fare, roughly Cg 45-55; there is a bus, but it is irregular. For the western beaches, hiring a car for a day or two is the practical choice.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Punda, Handelskade and Fort Amsterdam on foot, free
- Lunch: Plasa Bieu, about Cg 25
- Afternoon: Kura Hulanda Museum (about Cg 25) and Otrobanda
- Evening: truki pan dinner and a walk in Pietermaai, about Cg 25
- Total: about Cg 190 per person including a shared room
More ways to save
- Share a hire car with other travellers for beach days in the west.
- Go to beaches that do not charge entry, such as Playa Piskado and Kenepa, or pay once and stay all day.
- Buy water and snacks at the supermarket before heading west.
- Book Klein Curaçao trips directly with operators for lower prices than resort desks.
- Travel between May and November for cheaper rooms.
- Eat the main meal at lunch when local places are open and cheapest.
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Common questions
Can you visit Curaçao on a budget?
Yes, at about Cg 190 a day with a guesthouse, local lunches and a short car hire for the beaches.
Do I need a car in Curaçao?
For the western beaches and Christoffel Park, practically yes; buses are cheap but infrequent.
Where is the cheapest food in Curaçao?
Plasa Bieu in Punda at lunchtime, snack bars and the 'truki pan' food trucks at night.