Life in the Bahamas

Welcome Paul
Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?
How long have you lived there?

Bob K

Hi,

Im the new executive chef of the Lyford Cay Club worlwide most Private club. Since almost 2 month I arrived here, life is good here but expensive also the people are little bit anti-foreigner....

Hello paulcottanceaupocard 

Kindly note that your thread is now on the Bahamas Forum so as to make it more visible to members who wish to enquire about the Bahamas.

Regards
Kenjee

Question.   So, can you please tell me about the cost of living in the out islands especially the utilities such as electric and gas, water .  Also tell me about the housing situation.  Should I build or buy something hurricane ready and stable?  I have many more questions...just starting to put the puzzle together.   thanks.

Question.   So, can you please tell me about the cost of living in the out islands especially the utilities such as electric and gas, water .  Also tell me about the housing situation.  Should I build or buy something hurricane ready and stable?  I have many more questions...just starting to put the puzzle together.   thanks.

Are you familiar with Grand Bahama?
Found a place outside Freeport that looks interesting.

Agree, Grand Bahama is the place to be.  I don't know too much about Nassau, but as for a  nice place to retire, I love Grand Bahama.  I am looking to retire there.  I am still 15 years out from retirement, but starting to look now.

Grand Bahama its a nice place to retire?? Or to relocate? Ok everyone has different opinions . But say something like that its real esagerate. Grand Bahama is the worst island of Bahamas. I have been and there is nothing that work well. Plus its  sooo boring.

Bahams is not a good place where to live . I have been there for 1 year.
Grand Bahama is the worst island of Bahama. Very boring and people its mmm little racist but not everyone.
What i can say for now is Bahamas is a nice country i m agree but its just for a short vacation. The reality is totally different when u go there for try the life.
1) Works with bahamians is not easy , u gotta be very very carefull. If they can take advantages, they do it . They don' t think the conseguances . Its not easy coz their level of education is not so high.Consider i have been in western union coz i had to receive money in Euro to convert in U.S Dollars and the casher asked to me whats mean Euro ? what is it? I said Excuse me? She almoust mess up all my money.
2) its not true that Bahamina dollars and U.S  are the same. Or better they are the same 1 to 1 inside Bahamas. But outside Bahamas  bahamina dollars  is about 30 cents less or something more.
Health level is not good, i have been to the hospital 3 times , not for me but for friends  and we  waited 15 hours each day  for  nothing. i have been then to  3 doctors for fulicolatis i thing i dont know how to say and 3 of theme gave me wrong explainations and one of them was a EX ministry of health. Wwoow
3) Bahamas is so expensive and salaries are not so equal. I saw with my eyes one gallon of gas $5.20 in Nov.2014  and the weird is the kind of gas they put  in your car burn fast. You go to the supermarket to buy food and u see prices so high  hat u gona have the sensation that the store is owned by scammers.
4) Do you want to work in the Bahamas?? WEll you should find a sponsor but nobody do that coz the company for ask and get a work permit for you they have to pay to the immigrtion between $7000- $12000  per year only for you and for keep on your work permit, I repeat that amount is only for  keep ON your work permit . Nobody do that. So they force you to marry a bahamian. And it snot easy to find a good person. But  there are good people too i dont generalize.
5) lots people thing Bahamas is part of USA . THIS IS NOT TRUE . Bahamas is a indipendent country.
6) The economy ?? WEll Bahamas lives thank to the turism so u cnanot expect a lot. Banks are not so efficient and i dont trust put my money in a bahamina bank i heard some weird things about that.
I can to continue for another 2 hours or mroe  but i gotta go  now.
WEll mmm i would check others country coz Bahamas really doesn t worth. The most boring and ugly island of Bahams  i have been is Grand Bahama i think is the worst one in the Bahamas and immigration is  so rude , ignorant  and they love to abue and show off. I had very bad experiences 3 times  and not only me but others turists too. In fact some immigratiosn officers got reported by them.
I always dreamed  years ago to go to live to the Bahamas but when i went , Jesus it disappointed me in all aspects BUT  the sea. Water is very nice there

Resided in the Bahamas recently for over three years having vacationed there for over 35 years.  iron-vegeta is "spot-on" re his comment.  And recently to add insult to injury in regards to expense, a new VAT tax of 15% went into effect on Jan1.  As the Bahamas has no income tax most items are taxed at the point of sale so expect to pay about DOUBLE the US price.  IR neglected to mention one serious matter, crime.  Property crime is rampant on most all the islands with Nassau additionally being bodily dangerous.  Import duties are outrageous with, for instance, most Bahamians being unable to afford anything but a very "used automobile", if that.  The Abacos would be the most preferable area having low crime, more sensible local government with direct air service from the US thus avoiding Nassau.  On the very bright side the water, diving, fishing, and beaches are world class..

DEar Beechboy i didnt talk about crime. You are mentioned it. I think finally we are almoust say the same in different way. I have been there 1 years and 2 months and my opinion Bahamas is a very nice country but is NOT GOOD FOR MAKE A LIFE in base of what i seen . That's all. There are others countries that have the same economy of Bahamas but they don t are so scammers with the price or ATLEAST not like Bahamas. Thatt's all. My opinion is that and i repeat on base my personal experiences and indirect experiences.

Check this link

shipit242.com/customs/

After checked the list on this link my answer is  REALLY???????? i m shocked about it.

By the way consider that bahamians with a business they know that , i mean how much its expensive buy something outside Bahams coz their duty. So they take advantage on it and they pull up the prices till the sky. Can't believe.