Aruba vs. Bahamas: Which is Cheaper to Travel to?
Congratulations! You have decided that you want to take a tropical vacation, whether it be with your significant other or with your family. Also, you have probably been debating between a few different destinations that you want to visit. Well, if you are looking to decide between Aruba or Bahamas and want to know which is cheaper, then you came to the right place.
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Both of these destinations are amazing destinations for a relaxing getaway, but my hope is that we can help you decide which one you should travel to. Below, I will highlight each of the destinations and provide my personal pros and cons list for both Aruba and the Bahamas.
Which is cheaper to travel Aruba or Bahamas?
Both of these destinations can be pricy depending on the resort you stay at or where you decide to go out to eat, but overall Aruba is definitely the cheaper option. Aruba has more affordable hotels, as well as good dining options on the island, while the Bahamas usually has slightly cheaper flights from the US.
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The reason that Aruba is cheaper overall is because it has cheaper options when it comes to nice affordable hotels. If you want a full breakdown of the affordability of each destinations you can find them below:
Which destination has the more affordable Resorts/Hotels?
Both of these destinations are ones that are not necessarily known for their cheap resorts, but the destination that I would say has the more affordable and better overall resorts is Aruba. The Bahamas is home to many fun and family friendly resorts, such as the Atlantis, but these hotels can get a little pricy. Aruba is home to two main beaches on the island, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, and you can find great affordable options at both. Here is a list of the top affordable resorts in Aruba.Â
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As for the Bahamas, you have a wider option when it comes to where on the island you want to stay at. You can choose from New Providence, which is home to Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, and upscale hotels and dining options in the area. If you are looking for a family-friendly option, you should check out Paradise Island which is home to The Atlantis Resort.
Which destination has the cheaper flights?
While it really depends on the time of year you go and the airport you are flying out of, lets pretend that we are looking at each during the off-season and flying from a major international airport to compare. This will give us an idea of the cheapest flight prices we can get at each destination. Also, flight prices to tend to fluctuate (especially recently), so that is something to keep in mind as well.
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If we look at it this way, the average price of a round-trip flight to Aruba is $363, while the average price per flight to Nassau, Bahamas is $254. Therefore, the flights to the Bahamas are cheaper than Aruba if you look at them side by side.
Which destination has the cheaper dining options?
I just have to say right off the bat that these two destinations are some of the best when it comes to their food and dining options. Both are home to some amazing restaurants and upscale dining options, whether it be at the resorts or elsewhere. They also have two very different styles of foods as well. Aruba has a mixture of food influenced from the Netherlands, the Caribbean, as well as South America and also has many delicious Italian restaurants as well. The food in the Bahamas is mainly inspired by the traditional Caribbean cuisine.Â
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If I had to chose one to be more affordable over the other I would have to pick Aruba. The reason is because Aruba has many more options to choose from all over the island for places to dine out and you can definitely find cheap places to go to. In the high rise district near Palm Beach in Aruba, there is a tourist spot with a ton of restaurants and shops. If you are looking for an affordable meal, then you should definitely avoid the restaurants in this area.Â
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As for the Bahamas, many people that visit will complain of the price of the meals. Even if you go to the grocery store to try and find some food, you will run in to some pretty steep price tags. They too have many different dining options to choose from that have a wide variety of pricing options. If you do your research, you can definitely find some affordable options, but similar to Aruba, you should avoid the tourist traps.
Pros and Cons of Each
Aruba
Pros:
- Beautiful beaches with some great resorts at both Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
- Many different activities that you can do on the beach. The Catamaran boat cruise is my personal favorite.
- Â Friendly and helpful people and most of them speak fluent English (One Happy Island!).
- Extremely safe place to visit, so you can go pretty much anywhere on the island without worry.
- Pretty much perfect weather year round. It stays around 80 degrees fahrenheit year round and almost never changes.
- Great place for shopping, great restaurants, and a good nightlife scene
- Â Can get very hot and Aruba has a very desert like climate.
- Some days can get very windy due to tradewinds.
- Gets very busy and congested during school break weeks.
- Can get expensive if you don’t plan ahead of time.
The Bahamas
Pros:
- Â Beautiful beaches and extremely blue water.
- Great service at all the resorts.
- Many different activities to choose from including Dolphin encounters and Powerboat adventures.
- Very cool buildings and different architecture can be found around the island.
- If you like seafood, the Bahamas is home to some if the most delicious seafood.
- Great destination for families!
- Â Prices at many of the resorts are inflated from what they normally are. Get ready to buy drinks, sunscreen, and clothing at double the price.
- Can get very expensive at the big resorts like the Atlantis.
- Has a long rainy season from August-October.
- Similar to Aruba, the crowds can be a problem during the school break weeks.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are looking for a nice relaxing beach vacation these are both great options for you. They both are home to some amazing resorts, food, and great weather. If I had to choose answer the question – Which is cheaper Aruba or the Bahamas? I would have to go with Aruba. Learn more about the best time to travel to Aruba.