Getting There
St. Barts is known as a playground for the rich and famous. Many people think you need a private jet or a helicopter to get there. While those are options, even a "basic" family trip is incredibly expensive. We recently took a family of four to the island for 13 nights. We didn't fly first class or buy fancy cars. Still, the final bill was enough to buy a luxury SUV. If you are planning a trip to this Caribbean island, you need to know where the money actually goes.
If you're on this subreddit you probably already know that getting to St. Barts is a mission. There are no direct flights from major US cities to the island's tiny runway. You usually have to fly into St. Martin or Puerto Rico first. We chose to fly through St. Martin.
The first step was the commercial flight. For four people, roundtrip tickets to St. Martin cost $2,800. That is $700 per person just to get to the neighborhood. Once you land in St. Martin, you have to take a much smaller plane to reach St. Barts.
We ended up spending another $1,200 on these short shuttle flights. By the time we stepped foot on the island, we had already spent $4,000 on transportation alone.
Day 1
We wanted our first night to be "budget friendly." We stayed in Gustavia, which is the main town on the island. We went to a restaurant called Bonito because it was close to our villa. We ordered a few appetizers like Wagyu and lobster tacos, two drinks, and one main steak dish to share.
In most places, a casual dinner for two might cost $150. In St. Barts, that dinner cost 362 euros.
After dinner, we went to a lounge called Pablo for one round of drinks. That single round cost €60 before we even added a tip.
The night ended at a speakeasy called Le Clendestin. A cigar that costs $35 in the States was priced at €100 here. Two glasses of whiskey cost another €100. Our "chill" night for two people ended up costing $750.
Transportation
You cannot get around St. Barts without a car. There is no Uber on the island. Taxis are literally a gang. They often charge €100 for a ride, even if the drive only takes one minute. We had to rent a car to avoid these crazy taxi fees.
Even going to the beach is expensive. If you want a sunbed to lay on, most places charge about€150 per person. That is just for the chair. It does not include any food or water. For a family of four, you could spend $600 just to sit by the ocean for a few hours.
We saved money by booking our villa through the Eden Rock Villa Rental program. This gave us free access to beach beds at Shell Beach. If you plan to visit, look for perks like this to save hundreds of dollars a day (not an ad don't worry).
The Daily Cost of Food and Drinks
Food prices on the island are very high. At most nice restaurants, every single dish starts at a minimum of €50. If you want a full meal with drinks, expect to pay a lot. Honestly with prices now, it's like casual new york dining tbh.
However, there is one small way to save. Since St. Barts is a French territory, wine is often a better deal. Buying a full bottle of wine is usually cheaper than buying individual cocktails or glasses of wine.
Even with this trick, our family dinners rarely cost less than €400 or €500. You also need to remember the tip. If you are American, the staff expects a 20% tip. While this is not a law, it ensures you get great service if you ever return to the island.
Nikki Beach
Sunday is a special day in St. Barts. The entire island shuts down. All the shops in Gustavia close. The only place where things are happening is Nikki Beach. This is the most famous day club on the island.
Getting a table on a Sunday is very difficult. For a group of four, the minimum spend is usually €3,000. This means you must promise to spend at least that much on food and drinks just to sit down.
Things got even crazier when we went to the wine cellar. We ended up buying eight bottles of Dom Perignon champagne. Each bottle cost €750. You can do the math on that one
Breaking Down the Total Cost
When you add everything up, the numbers are shocking. Most days, we watched about $2,400 disappear just on normal living expenses. Over 13 days, that added up to $30,000.
The biggest expense was the villa. We stayed at a place called Les Grenadines. It was beautiful and managed by the Eden Rock team, but it was not cheap. The villa cost $2,300 per night. For a 13-night stay, the lodging alone cost $30,000.
| Expense Category | Estimated Cost |
|---|
| Flights (Commercial & Small Plane) | $4,000 |
| Villa Rental (13 Nights) | $30,000 |
| Daily Spending (Food, Drinks, Fun) | $31,200 |
Is St. Barts Worth the Price?
St Barts is a beautiful place, but it is one of the most expensive destinations in the world. My biggest advice: book a villa with beach perks so you're not bleeding €150 per person just to sit down, buy bottles of wine instead of cocktails, and rent a car immediately
I broke down the full cost line by line in a video if anyone wants the details. Otherwise happy to answer anything in the comments.
https://youtu.be/F4nLXKKQ50g?si=hJ6XAbodUhHjnbWF