Cayman Islands
8.0%–8.5%
No licence needed · Stamp duty is 94% of it
94%
- Stamp duty$37,500
- Legal and registration fees$2,500–$5,000
What it costs to buy property in the Caribbean
The asking price is rarely what you pay. Across the Caribbean the extra runs from 0.9% in Puerto Rico to 16.9% in Dominica — a difference of $79,900 on the same half-million-dollar house.
Where the money goes
The same $500,000 purchase by a foreign buyer in two markets. The total says how much; the bar says what for.
Antigua and Barbuda
9.5%–10.0%
Licence needed · Alien Landholding Licence is 53% of it
53%
26%
21%
- Alien Landholding Licence$25,000
- Stamp duty — your share$12,500
- Legal fees$10,000–$12,500
On a purchase of
5%9%14%18%
United States
0.1–0.3%
Puerto Rico
0.9–1.4%
Venezuela
0.9–2.6%
Barbados
1.5–2.0%
Panama
1.6–4.5%
Jamaica
1.8–3.3%
Colombia
2.4–3.4%
Nicaragua
2.7–4.2%
Mexico
3.4–7.4%
Costa Rica
3.8%
Haiti
4.0%
Saint Lucia
4.1–4.3%
Guatemala
4.3–5.5%
Guyana
4.3–5.3%
Curaçao
5.0–6.0%
Honduras
5.0–7.0%
Sint Maarten
5.0–6.0%
Trinidad and Tobago
5.2–6.2%
Dominican Republic
5.5–7.5%
Saint Barthélemy
6.0–7.0%
Aruba
6.2–7.2%
Bahamas
7.0–7.5%
Guadeloupe
7.0–7.8%
Bonaire
7.1–8.1%
Saba
7.1–8.1%
Sint Eustatius
7.1–8.1%
French Guiana
7.5–8.3%
Martinique
7.5–8.3%
Cayman Islands
8.0–8.5%
Suriname
8.1–8.2%
Belize
8.8–9.8%
Saint Martin
9.0–10.0%
Turks and Caicos Islands
9.0–9.5%
Antigua and Barbuda
9.5–10.0%
Montserrat
9.8–10.3%
Anguilla
10.1–17.6%
Saint Kitts and Nevis
12.5–13.0%
British Virgin Islands
13.1–14.1%
Grenada
13.3%
Dominica
16.9%
Solid bar is the lower estimate; the lighter extension is the range professional fees create. A dot marks a market where a foreign buyer needs a licence. Pick a market for its full breakdown.
| Market | You pay on top | In cash | Licence needed? | Seller carries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 0.1% – 0.3% | $500 – $1,500 | No | Documentary stamp tax on the deed |
| Puerto Rico | 0.9% – 1.4% | $4,500 – $7,000 | No | — |
| Venezuela | 0.9% – 2.6% | $4,750 – $13,000 | No | — |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1.4% | $6,750 | No | Stamp tax |
| Barbados | 1.5% – 2.0% | $7,500 – $10,000 | No | Property transfer tax, Stamp duty |
| Panama | 1.6% – 4.5% | $8,000 – $22,750 | No | Property transfer tax |
| Jamaica | 1.8% – 3.3% | $8,766 – $16,266 | No | Transfer tax, Stamp duty, Registration fee |
| Colombia | 2.4% – 3.4% | $11,750 – $16,750 | No | Notaría fees |
| Nicaragua | 2.7% – 4.2% | $13,500 – $21,000 | No | Transfer tax |
| Mexico | 3.4% – 7.4% | $17,000 – $37,000 | Yes | — |
| Costa Rica | 3.8% | $18,800 | No | — |
| Haiti | 4.0% | $20,000 | No | — |
| Saint Lucia | 4.1% – 4.3% | $20,500 – $21,500 | Yes | Vendor's tax |
| Guatemala | 4.3% – 5.5% | $21,250 – $27,500 | No | — |
| Guyana | 4.3% – 5.3% | $21,250 – $26,250 | No | — |
| Curaçao | 5.0% – 6.0% | $25,000 – $30,000 | No | — |
| Honduras | 5.0% – 7.0% | $25,000 – $35,000 | No | — |
| Sint Maarten | 5.0% – 6.0% | $25,000 – $30,000 | No | — |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 5.2% – 6.2% | $26,140 – $31,140 | No | — |
| Dominican Republic | 5.5% – 7.5% | $27,500 – $37,500 | No | — |
| Saint Barthélemy | 6.0% – 7.0% | $30,000 – $35,000 | No | — |
| Aruba | 6.2% – 7.2% | $30,809 – $35,809 | No | — |
| Bahamas | 7.0% – 7.5% | $35,000 – $37,500 | No | VAT on conveyance |
| Guadeloupe | 7.0% – 7.8% | $35,050 – $39,050 | No | — |
| Bonaire | 7.1% – 8.1% | $35,265 – $40,265 | No | — |
| Saba | 7.1% – 8.1% | $35,265 – $40,265 | No | — |
| Sint Eustatius | 7.1% – 8.1% | $35,265 – $40,265 | No | — |
| French Guiana | 7.5% – 8.3% | $37,600 – $41,600 | No | — |
| Martinique | 7.5% – 8.3% | $37,600 – $41,600 | No | — |
| Cayman Islands | 8.0% – 8.5% | $40,000 – $42,500 | No | — |
| Suriname | 8.1% – 8.2% | $40,250 – $40,750 | Yes | — |
| Belize | 8.8% – 9.8% | $44,200 – $49,200 | No | — |
| Saint Martin | 9.0% – 10.0% | $45,000 – $50,000 | No | — |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 9.0% – 9.5% | $45,000 – $47,500 | No | — |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 9.5% – 10.0% | $47,500 – $50,000 | Yes | Stamp duty |
| Montserrat | 9.8% – 10.3% | $48,750 – $51,250 | Yes | — |
| Anguilla | 10.1% – 17.6% | $50,400 – $87,900 | Yes | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 11.3% | $56,483 | Yes | Stamp duty on the conveyance |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12.5% – 13.0% | $62,500 – $65,000 | Yes | Stamp duty |
| British Virgin Islands | 13.1% – 14.1% | $65,500 – $70,500 | Yes | — |
| Grenada | 13.3% | $66,500 | Yes | Property transfer tax |
| Dominica | 16.9% | $84,400 | Yes | Seller's stamp duty |
Who pays matters more than the rate
The single most common mistake in Caribbean property guides is billing the buyer for a tax the seller owes. In Barbados the buyer pays neither transfer tax nor stamp duty. In Jamaica the 2% transfer tax is the vendor's. In Saint Kitts and Nevis the Stamps Act makes it an offence for a seller to pass their stamp duty to the buyer at all. Guides that add every tax together and present the total as a buyer's bill can overstate the cost several times over.
Some markets need permission first
A non-national must hold a licence before taking title in 11 of these markets, and the cost varies enormously — a flat government fee in Saint Lucia, 5% of the value in Antigua and Barbuda, 10% in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Approval can take months, so it belongs in your timeline as much as your budget.
How these figures were put together
Each rate is traced to a published source and dated — statutes and revenue authorities where we could read them, law-firm guides otherwise — and every listing on this site shows the same breakdown with its sources against the actual asking price. Figures are estimates for budgeting, not legal or tax advice, and none has yet been reviewed by a practitioner in the jurisdiction concerned. Professional fees are customary ranges rather than fixed scales, so they are shown as ranges. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.