Is ARUBA expensive? Let's find out
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
- Hi everyone! This is episode four of my Dutch Caribbean series in which I travel to Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. In this video, I look at how much things cost in Oranjestad, the capital, to ascertain whether it is expensive or not.
Aruba does have a reputation for being an expensive destination, so I went to some shops, supermarkets and restaurants to see if that is actually true. The Aruban Florin is the local currency but US Dollar is also widely accepted.
First, I visit two supermarkets in a residential neighbourhood, before going to the Down Town area where I visit another supermarket. I then comment on prices in the touristy area where they sell souvenirs and food, with prices quoted in US Dollar rather than the Florin.
I then go to a large wholesale-style shop where many of the locals shop, to see how prices compare if you go for more bulk purchases or buying larger products. I also comment on the price of soft drinks that I bought at a mini market at the airport.
Finally, I visit a shop that sells pastechis, which are local treats on the island.
I hope you enjoy this vlog and, if you haven't done so already, please give this video a like and subscribe to my channel. It really helps this channel to grow and allows me to make more content such as this for you, for free!
Please note that I have not been sponsored by anyone or any company in the production of this video.
Happy exploring!
Willie
Thanks for this. I’m thinking of visiting and have been worried about having to spend a ton of money just to eat every day. This helps me understand what to expect.
Glad to hear that! I hope you have a wonderful time if you do end up visiting there :)
Great video! Aruba's architecture is really tradional and beautiful compared to here in Trinidad and Tobago. All around, a very lovely island!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting on my videos! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing those comparisons with Trinidad and Tobago, which is definitely on my list of places to visit (maybe as part of a West Indies cricket tour one day ;)
Great to be back Willie, really enjoyed this one. The prices aren't really that bad, as we have been experiencing rising prices in the USA. I guess it's the same world wide at the moment. Kiwi from Virginia
Nice to hear from you Swanoaks! Hope all is well on your side. I agree with you re the prices. Inflation a problem everywhere at the moment, that is for sure.
Brilliant video Willie thanks tips on how to buy products from shops where need essential features for thing you want to have thanks i can't wait for another video from your travels!
Cheers Simon, really appreciate your continued support and encouragement!
Woww!! Best video about groceries prices, terrible expensive!!! thanks dude
Thank you, Gustavo! Glad you enjoyed it. Not the cheapest place but you can shop smart!
@@willieexplore yeah!! Im in chile again..were 10 days in aruba...chinesse cheaper...super food mega is mega expensive like ling and sons...was an amazing experience aruba..expensive but it costa at the least cent hehehe saludos amigo!!
@@gustavowaghorn4471 sounds like you had a wonderful time! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great video Willie!
@7:30 Maltin is a typical breakfast drink along with some Aruban pastechi. Originally its from Venezuela, but Aruba brews its own as well from the "Balashi" brand. Btw, all those chinese family owned "supermarkets" are just local neighborhood minimarkets. They just name them "super" out of some type of grandness. The only real supermarkets are super food, do it center, lings, pricesmart(bulk buys) and save more(value store).
Thank you so much for your kind words and additional insights! Yes I suppose the word "super" can be misused ;)
The spicy sweet chili Doritos are very good, at least I think they are. In Canada, we have a flavour called Sweet Chili Heat. I'm going to assume they are the same lol If I'm wrong, disregard! It's always interesting to compare prices abroad with the ones back home though. Seems a little expensive, but not completely unreasonable. I'm definitely not as seasoned a traveler as yourself, but is it somewhat common for places to only take cash? I've so far only come across that in the Philippines street markets. I'm anticipating some places in the more rural parts of Argentina to be similar too, but just curious.
Great video as always, but it is strange watching a Willie Explore video with no cat encounters! lol
I never tried those Sweet Chili crisps. I actually tried a Big Whopper flavoured Doritos the other day and can't say I'm a fan haha! Definitely always fascinating to see what things cost in other parts of the world. Yes, I agree it is not overly expensive. As for the cash bit, many shops only seem to take cash, particularly those in the more residential areas away from the touristy parts, but also some in the touristy parts (such as the pastechi place, they only took cash as well). I think the local buses also don't accept card. Cash is king when you travel! Now that you mentioned it...yes the cats were hiding in this video :)
Very interesting, Willie. Some things you think would be expensive weren't and vice versa! So much plastic packaging on the fruit and veg too but probably no more than there is here. That wee shop must lose custom not accepting card. Glad you got your meat pie, hope you gave the pidge a crumb or two😂
Told you I got my pie in the end! No crumbs for the bird though, although I'm sure that particular one hangs around that shop all day :) Yes definitely - some things were cheaper than I thought and I also found the prices in the Down Town to be reasonable, especially compared to the UK. Having said that, not sure I'll be buying my favourite fruit & nut chocolate in Aruba anytime soon. Re the shop that does not accept cards - I only realised when editing the video that he did in fact have a card machine! :D
@@willieexplore the chocolate bar was extortionate, I couldn't believe it 🤣. (Edited the brand name...)
@@sheilam4525 utterly depressing!
@@willieexplore 🤣
Very interesting Willie! What was your favourite local item that you can't find in UK?
Thanks Jasper, really appreciate it! Tough question, but I'll probably go with the malt drink :)
Hey man that big whole sale place you went into is called (Costco Wholesale) in Canada and the US but the name was changed somehow in Aruba .
Keep up the good work bro 👍👍
Cheers my friend! Glad you're enjoying these videos, thanks for your continuous support ;)
They have the same one in Trinidad also same name
@@marinthegoedschalk7245 interesting!
Nice place : )
It really is!
Looks as though those tourist places are taking advantage of the American tourists! Sadly I witnessed the same on my recent trip to Istanbul. In the Grand Bazar things were often priced in USD, and over-inflated too. Ask to pay in Turkish Lira and the price was a LOT less! Unfortunately it seemed that those with USD in their pockets were happy to use them rather than changing some money to Lira.
I'm curious, do the locals eat at those restaurants? And if they do, I wonder if they can pay in Florins.
I wonder what the average income is, and whether the locals find the cost of living to be high.
Great vlog as always, Willie! A fascinating insight.👍
Cheers Andy, I did promise to put up a vlog re the cost of living in Aruba and here it is :) Glad you enjoyed it. I remember buying a denim jacket in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul for c. £20 (I was very inexperienced then) and recall that the merchant's attitude to me changed completely when I found out I have British Pounds. Re the locals and the restaurants - not sure, but I remember the Dutch Pancakehouse were packed with American / Canadian tourists.
Aruba has the 5th highest gdp per capita of the western hemisphere, but locals generally do think cost of living is high. Locals eat at high end restaurants, albeit not often like tourists because there is no point wasting so much money on food when you can find more local restaurants serving delicious food without the upcharge due to location/rent etc. Some reserve eating out once a week, others once a month, some prefer home cooking, to each their own. In the tourist areas its price gauging galore, but that's what many Americans gravitate to themselves instead of going out and finding the local and reasonable, but still as delicious meals.
As for pricing, no, generally Aruba does not have different pricing for locals vs tourists. A vendor won't charge one price to tourists then turn around and charge a local a different price. What does exist is some establishments may have once weekly or once in a while a "dollar to florin" day or week or some other type of discount. Which is a nice way to keep the expensive trips or meals within the grasp of those earning less than average.
@@chrisrm18 Interesting, thanks for the insight.
@@chrisrm18 very interesting! Thank you so much for sharing :)
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Cheers for watching!
The local beer "Balashi" is excellent
I've heard so too, but I am teetotal :)
My friend, that's a Venezuelan beverage... Glad you liked it
Loved it my friend! Cheers for watching :)
Would love to see videos from where you are from as well- Africa!
Hi Eliysheva! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I do have some videos of South Africa on my channel, please do go and check them out. I'd be grateful for your feedback :)
You'd expect everything to be super expensive on a paradise island where they have to import everything but it's not so bad! I wonder if there is much agriculture there? I know on some caribbean islands the cheapest things are fruits grown there (pineapple, cocunut etc) and farm animals (goat, chicken) usually with local spices, and then all the seafood. Looks they had all that in the big warehouse there actually
Definitely not that bad mate. No Greggs on the island for a cheeky bacon roll and cappuccino but the food in the restaurants are on par with what you will pay in the UK. Yeah I've read that they are very reliant on imports, but there is apparently also a drive towards self-sufficiency in food production (greenhouses etc.). Notable agricultural produce include aloe vera, mangoes, coconut and papaya. That big warehouse place is awesome but someone else commented that you need a membership card to shop there...
@@willieexplore no Greggs but looks like some decent meat pies there. I binge on mangoes, papaya etc when I'm in tropical countries as they're so expensive here in the UK!
@@no_soy_rubio the pastechis there are decent mate. And yes I also like the tropical fruits :)
@@willieexplore funnily enough I think Americans are used to islands being expensive. Yet moving goods over water is the cheapest way to do it. Turns out the Jones act just sucks ass.
@@johnwhick7419 interesting, thanks for watching and commenting!
i went to aruba 25 years ago...Is it worth going all the way back for a can of that malt drink? 1 dollar 34....seems pricey...did you see any malt drinks for less than that ?
Yes John, buy that flight ticket for the $1.34 drink, you'll get a lot of sunshine and sandy beaches for free!
Hi willie price mart is best retailer in Aruba price in florin conversion dollar to florin is $1.77
Thanks for sharing these insights! I really enjoyed my visit to the big wholesaler. Really good value in general but also some items which I found expensive - presumably they need to import these?
@@willieexplore yes
most things are imported
So all those prices are Aruban or US ? Sorry if I missed it. I’m coming from Canada next year. 2024
Supermarkets / local shops yes. Downtown often quoted in US Dollar though
Ok awesome. Thanks Willie
@@bryanlecuyer5685 you're welcome, hope your trip works out great!
Thanks for the video. Most tourists go to Superfoods which is a huge grocery store or Lings. Pricey, but they have everything including many Dutch foods.
Cheers David, thanks for mentioning those alternatives. I've heard about them. I mainly showcased a few supermarkets / stores that were in my immediate vicinity or within a reasonable radius. The big wholesaler at the end was the one I had to walk to a bit further. Certainly lots of Dutch cheese I saw! :)
But you need to pay for a membership card
@@antoniusoosterwaal4883 cheers for mentioning, do you know how much that is?
It is actually Ling&Sons. Lings is a restaurant in Aruba North🙂.
Great video, though it was a cheap place.
Maybe I go to this country.
Keep up the great videos.
Thanks JBM! Yes it is always interesting to see what things cost in other parts of the world :)
Im form aruba many markert are chinese and they verry expensive
Thanks for commenting and watching my videos! Some items definitely were more expensive than I thought they would be, but overall it felt ok
$12 for a small poor quality local beer at the hotel bar, and even more for an import. Yes that's very expensive but typical.
I guess the margins at the hotels and resorts are significantly higher than other parts of the island. Cheers for watching and commenting!
Well you gave us no idea what restaurant food would cost
I did, watch again.
@@willieexplore I watched several times you never went into a restaurant and ordered a complete meal and compared anything
Video was interesting but tourist have zero idea what a restaurant meal complete cost versus making it at home or 1 restaurant in town versus a remote one
@@Daniel-bt7uo I did show prices outside the restaurants. If you want a "full meal experience", watch my other video on Oranjestad where I order some of the famous pancake pizzas. Hope that will be useful for you.
A 3 Euro Shop 😂
Lots of bargains if you're willing to look for it!