Bahamas VAT: 10% of headline
The Bahamas applies a 10% VAT on short-term lodging. The rate was reduced from 12% in 2022. The line is itemized on the contract and collected by the villa operator. The country has no income tax, no capital-gains tax, no property tax on renters, and no inheritance tax; the VAT is the principal lodging tax line. On a $48,000 weekly headline, the VAT line is $4,800. On a $135,000 Christmas-Week trophy headline, the VAT line is $13,500. The $50 departure tax is bundled into the airline ticket and does not appear on the villa contract.
Service charge: 5 to 12% (operator-dependent)
Bahamas operators typically invoice a 5 to 12% service charge on top of the headline. The Good Life Bahamas Rentals (the largest Harbour Island portfolio) runs 10%. Pink Sands Resort residences run 12% bundled with the resort access. Bahamas Realty (Lyford Cay, Ocean Club Estates) runs 8 to 10%. Onefinestay and Vrbo Premier run 6 to 9%. Direct managers typically run 0 to 5%. Verify the line on the contract.
Cleaning fee: $600 to $2,200 per stay
Most Bahamas managed villas itemize the post-stay cleaning fee. The line runs $600 to $1,200 for a four to five bedroom; $1,200 to $2,200 for a six to eight bedroom. Daily housekeeping is typically included in the headline (six days, Sunday off).
Staff: housekeeper and gardener typical, cook on a sub-set
The standard Bahamas luxury villa includes a daily housekeeper, gardener, and pool maintenance in the headline. Roughly 45 percent of the editorial-list Harbour Island and Lyford Cay villas include a cook in the headline rate, materially less than Anguilla’s 75 percent but more than Cabo’s near-zero. The Pink Sands Resort villas include the resort kitchen and concierge bench. Verify the staff bench in writing before signing.
Evening chef: $500 to $1,200 per service plus food at cost
An independent evening chef on Harbour Island or in Nassau runs $600 to $1,200 per service plus food at cost for ten. The Exumas and Out Islands run $500 to $1,000 because the chef bench is shallower and lead time is longer. The strongest chef benches are alumni of the Dune at One&Only Ocean Club, Cafe Matisse, Sip Sip and the Dunmore on Harbour Island, and the Albany kitchens. Food cost lands at $90 to $200 per person depending on protein (Bahamian conch, in-season lobster, line-caught wahoo, US-imported beef), wine pairing, and whether a sommelier service is added. The Christmas-Week lead time on Harbour Island runs ten to fourteen weeks.
Boat charter and water-sports: $1,400 to $9,500 per day
A 32 to 38-foot Boston Whaler or Yellowfin from Harbour Island or Spanish Wells for a Devil’s Backbone, Lighthouse Beach, and conch-shack day runs $1,400 to $2,800 plus fuel ($180 to $360) and 15% captain tip. A 45 to 55-foot Hatteras or Bertram for an Exumas day (Compass Cay sharks, Pig Beach, Thunderball Grotto) runs $3,800 to $6,800 plus fuel and tip. A 65-foot-plus motor yacht for a multi-cay day runs $6,800 to $9,500. The Exumas pig-and-shark itinerary is the canonical Bahamas charter pattern; book through Powerboat Adventures or Four C’s Adventures.
Restaurant nights: $90 to $280 per head
Sip Sip (Harbour Island) runs $80 to $130 per head before wine. Dunmore (Harbour Island) runs $140 to $220. Cafe Matisse (Nassau) runs $120 to $180. Dune at One&Only Ocean Club runs $200 to $320. Cleo Mediterraneo at Baha Mar runs $120 to $180. Albany Marina dining runs $150 to $250. A family of eight at Dune with reasonable wine lands between $2,200 and $3,200. Reservation lead time at Dune and Dunmore runs eight to twelve weeks in Christmas Week, three to four in shoulder.
SUV or golf-cart rental: $80 to $240 per day
Harbour Island is a golf-cart-only island; the cart rental from Big Red’s, Michael’s, or Sun Carts runs $80 to $140 per day. Nassau and the Out Islands take SUV rentals at $140 to $240 per day. The Exumas often use the villa staff for transport rather than self-drive. The Bahamas is a left-hand-drive country with British driving rules.
Transfers: NAS $80 to $180, ELH $30 to $80 plus 5-min water taxi, GGT and MHH operator-arranged
NAS (Nassau) is the primary international gateway. A Cadillac Escalade or Suburban from NAS to Lyford Cay or Paradise Island runs $80 to $180 each way (15 to 25 minutes). ELH (North Eleuthera) is the gateway to Harbour Island; a ground transfer to Government Dock runs $30 to $80 followed by a 5-minute water taxi to Harbour Island ($10 to $30 per person). GGT (Great Exuma) is the gateway to the Exumas; the villa operator arranges. MHH (Marsh Harbour, Abacos) is the gateway to the Abacos. For the private cays, a chartered seaplane or boat runs $1,800 to $5,800 per group leg.
Pre-stock and provisioning: $800 to $2,400
Arrival provisioning runs $800 to $1,200 for a family of six and $1,400 to $2,400 for a group of twelve. Harbour Island provisions through Pigly Wigly and Johnson’s; Nassau through Solomon’s SuperCentre and the Fresh Market; the Out Islands rely on the villa operator’s mainland sourcing. Wine and spirits import duties run the line higher than US mainland equivalents; plan for $50 to $130 per bottle on standard well wines.
Gratuities: $200 to $400 per staff member per week
Bahamas villa staff are paid through the operator. A cash gratuity on departure of $200 to $400 USD per staff member per week is the practice. For a five-staff villa on a seven-night stay (two housekeepers, gardener, property manager, occasional butler), plan for $1,200 to $2,000 in cash gratuities. The villa manager distributes. USD or BSD (the Bahamian dollar, pegged 1:1 to USD) both acceptable.