Where to buy cheap food in Curaçao (and where to eat local without overspending)
2026-09-06 · Practical life Food
The supermarkets, by what you're looking for
- Mangusa (Rio Canario and Cas Cora): carries more brands familiar from Latin America than the others -- usually your first stop if you're looking for products you already know from home.
- Van den Tweel (Jan Thiel and Zeelandia): the most expensive, with imported products and European brands. Good if you're after something specific, not for the weekly shop if your budget is tight.
- Centrum (Mahaai and Piscadera): a variety of Dutch brands, mid-range prices.
- Vreugdenhil (near Schubappelweg): another mid-range option.
Rule of thumb: almost everything imported is going to cost more than in your home country. Local or regional products (fruit, vegetables, fish) tend to be cheaper and fresher than their imported equivalents -- prioritize those at the supermarket to make your budget stretch further.
Marshe Bieu (Plasa Bieu): authentic, cheap Curaçaoan food
In the heart of Willemstad, near Punda and the Pontoon Bridge, is Marshe Bieu ("old market," also called Plasa Bieu) -- a market with 6 local-food stalls, open kitchens, and shared tables like a food hall. It's one of the cheapest places to eat well and taste real island food, not a tourist version.
Typical dishes you'll find there: stoba di kabritu (goat stew), sopa di kadushi (made with the local cactus), red snapper, and it all usually comes with funchi (a type of cornmeal polenta). For dessert, arepa di pampuna (pumpkin pancake -- not the Venezuelan arepa, a different thing with the same name).
Practical tip
If you've just arrived and don't yet know the real prices, compare the receipt for a shopping trip at Mangusa against one at Van den Tweel before deciding where to do your regular shopping -- the difference on imported products can be considerable.
Based on public sources about Curaçao shopping and food guides -- exact prices change, confirm them in store.
← Back to the procedures guide