Cayman Islands Guides
Practical guides to living in, moving to, and visiting the Cayman Islands, written from local data and primary sources. Updated as the facts change.
Moving & Cost of Living
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- Cost of Living in the Cayman Islands What it really costs to live here: rent, utilities, schools, and the no-income-tax picture.
- Cayman vs Miami: Cost of Living Headline costs, rent, and the post-tax comparison for a Miami move.
- Cayman vs London: Cost of Living Like-for-like costs plus the UK income-tax and National Insurance gap.
- Cayman vs Toronto: Cost of Living Living costs and the Ontario-versus-zero income-tax math.
- Moving to the Cayman Islands Work permits, residency, housing, and the 90-day relocation sequence.
- Moving from the US: What's Different The taxes that follow US citizens, the fixed US$ peg, the nonstop flight map, and Miami-based shipping.
- Moving from the UK: What's Different Leaving HMRC properly, life without the NHS, US-style plugs, and the BA route home via Nassau.
- Moving from Canada: What's Different Non-residency and departure tax basics, year-round Toronto nonstops, and trading a health card for an insurance card.
- Buying Property in the Cayman Islands Can foreigners buy? Yes: no license, freehold title, no property tax, the 7.5% stamp duty, and the residency-by-investment routes.
- Enterprise City vs the Work Permit The Special Economic Zone versus the standard work-permit route, and what each means for PR.
- Work Permit Costs in the Cayman Islands What a permit really costs the employer in 2026: occupation fees, the fees around them, and what changed on 1 May.
- Work Permit Fees: the Full Schedule Every annual permit fee, all 1,900+ occupations across 44 sectors, with Grand Cayman and Sister Islands rates.
- Bringing a Dog or Cat to Cayman The DoA import permit, rabies titre test, microchip, flights, banned breeds, and no quarantine.
- Shipping to the Cayman Islands Getting US online orders here: freight forwarders, air versus ocean rates, and the 22% import duty.
- Does Amazon Ship to Cayman? Yes for some items via DHL, but the selection is limited. How it works and what to use instead.
- Cayman Import Duty Calculator Estimate the duty on goods or a vehicle: the 22% rate, vehicle bands to 42%, and what is duty-free.
Getting Around
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- Getting Around Grand Cayman Taxis, rental cars, buses, walking, and which option fits which trip.
- Is There Uber in Grand Cayman? No Uber or Lyft: why, and the regulated taxi and ride-share options instead.
- Electric Vehicles in the Cayman Islands Import duty, charging, running costs, and how clean an EV really is here.
- The Honda Fit in Cayman The island's most-registered car: live prices by model year, why it dominates, the safety debate, and buying checks.
- Car Registration and Inspection When your car needs inspecting, the 2026 DVDL licence fees, where inspections happen on all three islands, online renewal and transfers.
- Leasing a Car in the Cayman Islands What leasing really means here: long-term and monthly rental, all-inclusive leases from CI$550, and when leasing beats buying.
- Seven Mile Beach to George Town by Bus Which West Bay route to catch, the CI$2 fare, hours, and how long it takes.
- Taxi: Airport to Seven Mile Beach What the regulated fare costs (about CI$23/US$29) and how to grab a cab on arrival.
- Seven Mile Beach Parking & Sunset Where to park free, the public-access points, and the best spots for sunset.
Hotels & Condos
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- Seven Mile Beach Hotels Compared The main SMB hotels by tier, location, dining, resort fees, and who they suit, plus head-to-head matchups.
- Seven Mile Beach Condos Compared The main beachfront condo complexes by stretch, pools, amenities, and on-site dining.
- Discovery Point vs Silver Sands Two quiet far-north-end condo complexes compared.
- Discovery Point vs Plantana All two-bedroom and quiet versus a central one-to-three-bedroom mix.
- Plantana vs Villas of the Galleon A pool versus a pure-beach central spot.
- Regal Beach vs Villas of the Galleon Resort-style amenities versus beach-first.
- Christopher Columbus vs Discovery Point Two north-end complexes with tennis and pools.
- Ritz-Carlton vs the Westin Classic top-tier luxury against the full-service Seven Mile Beach benchmark.
- Kimpton Seafire vs the Ritz-Carlton Two top SMB luxury resorts side by side: vibe, dining, and what your group wants.
- Kimpton Seafire vs the Westin A design-led lifestyle resort versus the full-service benchmark, both beachfront.
- Westin vs the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort Two beachfront SMB resorts; with the Marriott's beach restored in 2026, the split is family focus vs the Westin's pool and dining.
- Hotel Indigo vs the Westin Boutique, design-led value a short walk from the sand versus the full-service beachfront resort.
- Sunshine Suites vs the Hampton Two value plays off the sand, and what each resort's daily charge actually buys.
Visiting & Practical
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- Is the Cayman Islands Safe? The data-backed answer: Cayman's homicide rate in Caribbean context, the day-to-day reality of property crime, and the road, ocean and hurricane risks that matter more.
- Cruise Visitor's Day Guide Tender logistics, day-of itineraries, Stingray City, and practical tips.
- What's Open on Sunday in Grand Cayman What is open and closed on Sundays: brunch, supermarkets, alcohol hours, attractions, and pharmacies.
- What's Open on Public Holidays Supermarket hours on each holiday, the Christmas Day and Good Friday alcohol rules, banks, buses, pharmacies and attractions.
- Sports Bars: Where to Watch the Game Every sports bar actually open in 2026, screens and hours verified, NFL Sunday logistics, UK kickoff times in Cayman hours, and the famous names now closed.
- Reef-Safe Sunscreen: Is It Required? No law as of 2026: the chemicals to avoid, what to use, and where to buy mineral sunscreen.
- Returning a Rental Car at the Airport The full-tank rule, where to fill up cheap with live fuel prices, drop-off, and how early to arrive.
- How Early to Arrive at GCM Airport What the airport and Cayman Airways recommend, the hard cutoffs, live departure traffic, and the new faster security.
- Cayman Islands Visa Requirements Who needs a visa to visit, the 109 nationalities on the list, exemptions for permanent residents of the US, Canada and UK, and how to apply.
- Cayman Customs for Tourists Snorkel gear, your own food and meat, the duty-free allowance, what to declare, and live arrival times.
- Resort Day Passes & Beach Access Which resorts sell day passes, the family water parks, and how to use any beach for free.
- Best Beaches & Snorkeling The best beaches and shore-snorkel spots, plus a live read on the calmest coast today.
- Sargassum: Season & Beach Guide When sargassum seaweed arrives, which coasts it hits, why Seven Mile Beach is usually spared, and a live daily outlook.
- Saharan Dust: Season & Health Guide What the Saharan dust layer is, when it reaches Cayman, its effect on air quality and health, and how it quiets the hurricane season.
- El Niño and Cayman's Hurricane Season What El Niño and La Niña are, how each phase tilts Cayman's hurricane risk, and where the Pacific stands right now, with the live NOAA status.
- Mosquitoes: Bites, Season & Spraying When and where they bite, DEET and picaridin, how MRCU spraying works and how to check it, and the dengue status.
- Rainy Day: Things to Do Indoor and undercover options for a wet day: cinema, galleries, the museum, distillery and bakery tours, and more.
- Where to Buy Wine in Grand Cayman Wine shops and the best selections, delivery, plus wine bars, tastings, and a wine club.
- Grand Cayman Wine Prices Compared The same popular wines compared across four stores, in CI$, refreshed weekly.
- Currency & Credit Cards The CI$/US$ rate, which currency you pay in, how cards are billed, ATMs, and fees.
- eSIM, SIM Card & Roaming The easiest way to get mobile data: a travel eSIM, a local Flow or Digicel SIM, or roaming, with current prices.
- Tipping in the Cayman Islands The service charge on the bill, when to top up, who else to tip, and the US$ to CI$ maths.
- Food Trucks in Grand Cayman A map of the independent food trucks: each usual spot, days and hours, an Open now filter, and the trucks that have closed.
- Seasonal Restaurant Closures Which Grand Cayman restaurants close for the low season, with dates confirmed by the venues, who runs reduced days, and who stays open year round.
- Lobster and Conch Season The legal season dates, catch limits and sizes, marine park rules and penalties, verified against the regulations.
- Is Feeding Fish in Cayman Illegal? Yes, outside Stingray City and the Sandbar: what the law says, the stingray and starfish handling rules, shark feeding and penalties.
- Bio Bay: the Bioluminescent Bay The year-round glow near Rum Point: when to go by the moon, kayak vs electric boat vs snorkel, prices and directions.
- Cayman Cocktail Week 2026 Every 2026 event, the October specials at 50 bars and restaurants with CI$ price ranges and menu links, and the Speed Rack final on 12 November.
- Halloween in Cayman Is Halloween celebrated in Cayman? Yes: where to trick-or-treat, the 2026 family events, sensory-friendly options and the late-night adult parties, each confirmed by its organiser.
- Pirates Week Festival The 2026 dates on all three islands, the pirate landing, parades and fireworks, and how to plan around the road closures.
- Public Holidays 2026 & 2027 Every public holiday date and the rule behind it, the expected 2027 dates, and the Cayman year month by month.
- Recycling in the Cayman Islands What goes in each depot bin, the nine free depots, glass, oil, scrap metal, hazardous waste and landfill hours.
- Battery Disposal in Cayman Where household, car, e-bike and EV batteries go, DEH's list of battery bins, and lithium fire safety.
- Hurricane Season Prep Guide Pre-season prep, supply standards, shelters, and recovery expectations.
- Grocery Delivery in Grand Cayman Every store that delivers, fees by district, and the all-in cost math.
- Liquor Delivery in Grand Cayman Where to buy, who delivers, and the rules on buying alcohol locally.
- Cannabis, CBD & THC Laws What is legal, the medical-only regime, and what you cannot bring across the border.