Items & Prices

Bonaire's cost of living is shaped by its island geography — nearly everything is imported by container ship or air freight. Prices reflect the 2018 Regioplan / Sociaal Minimum Caribisch Nederland baseline, which anchors the in-game economy. ABB (Algemene Bestedingsbelasting) consumption tax of 6% applies to most purchases.

Monthly rent varies by household size. A single person pays $550/mo; couples pay $600/mo. Each additional adult adds $100/mo and each child adds $50/mo. Staying with family or sharing a house is the most common way to keep housing costs manageable.

* All figures in USD per month (Regioplan 2018 baseline)

A single person's monthly food budget is $200 (about $6.67/day for home-cooked meals). A couple household spends $380/mo. Eating at restaurants costs extra — check the Businesses guide for venue tiers and pricing.

Personal care items cost about $24/mo. Haircuts average $8/mo. Medicine (non-reimbursed) is $8/mo. Dental care runs $10/mo. Cleaning supplies and paper products add $13/mo.

Raising children on Bonaire comes with specific costs. Childcare for ages 0–4 is $200/mo; after-school care for ages 4–12 is $80/mo. Diapers add $60/mo for the youngest. School uniforms amortize to $15/mo. The government provides kinderbijslag (child allowance) of $42/mo per child and an onderstand supplement of $74 for the first child and $39 for each subsequent child.

The minimum wage for workers aged 21+ is $4.76/hr, or $825/mo full-time. A single minimum-wage earner falls below the bare-minimum survival cost of $1,012/mo, which explains the heavy reliance on informal economy work and multi-generation households. The median household income is $23,600/year; the average is $31,100/year. The tax-free income threshold is $11,920/year.

Bonaire's social safety net (onderstand) provides a base payment of $420/mo for a single person, with a $61/mo supplement for those living independently. Co-household members receive $150/mo. Disability supplement is $277/mo. Old-age pension (AOV) pays $759/mo for a single person.

If there is room in the budget after essentials: recreation and hobbies average $5/mo, birthday gifts $10/mo, and an annual off-island family trip amortizes to $32/mo. Small pleasures matter on the kunuku.