Moving to Grand Cayman
One Family's Adventure
Moving to Grand Cayman will be an exciting and nerve wracking process. Your first step will be to look through the Cayman Island jobs and apply. Once you have the job, you will need to make arrangements for working in Cayman Islands that include opening a Cayman Islands bank account, finding a place to stay, and probably purchasing a car.
Our motivation for moving to the Cayman Islands, was to try it out and see. We were really open to exploring our options. My husband had already been working overseas, so he was looking forward to the new adventure. I have done a bit of traveling for my career, and wanted to see what was in the Caribbean Islands.
Moving to Grand Cayman - George Town Shipping Dock
Moving to Grand Cayman - How we did it
To start, my husband got a Cayman Island job. There are several steps involved in this process including phone interviews, medical tests, and endless immigration forms. Once, that's all taken care of, the planning must begin.
While we were waiting for immigration, we sold some of our belongings, packed some away in storage, and decided which things we would ship to Grand Cayman. This is a difficult thing to do if you've never lived in a Caribbean Island. For example, since the weather is so nice, my daughter and I walk every day. Some of the attachments to her stroller would have really helped especially as she has grown. When we arrived she was 9 months old, and now she is over 2 years old. Unfortunately, I left some of the attachments thinking that I could always fly back and get them. However, a plane ticket to California is rather expensive especially just to pick up some baby items. If you plan to ship some of your belongings, make arrangements to have it shipped before you leave.
Once we arrived on the island, my husband's company paid for two weeks in a hotel and a rental car for the same time. During that time, we had to look for a place to live and find a car. My advice is to bring some cash. You will need money for a deposit and first month's rent on an apartment as well as some cash for a used car. Use ECayTrade to find apartments, cars, and just about anything else you many need here on the island.
Moving to Grand Cayman - George Town Post Office
So, what is the cost of living like? Well, it's expensive here. There are sort of two things affecting the price. First, most things need to be imported, and once the shipping fees and government fees have been tacked on, the price can be 20% to 40% higher than what you'd find in the US. Second, this is a well developed country in the Caribbean. Lots of people are moving to Grand Cayman. This has the effect of pushing up prices just based on supply and demand. Even though, prices are high it's possible to live here with a family and still enjoy a very good standard of living.
Can you bring up a family here? Well yes and no. We've moved here for an adventure. It works for us because we like to explore new areas. Expats are not allowed to stay longer than 7 years, so we couldn't settle here even if we wanted to. I think if you want a little adventure for your family, this is the place for it. It's the sunny Caribbean, but still quite modern as far as schools and hospital go.
The school system is very good here for expats because it's paid for directly. That means, the school has the latest computers, better paid teachers, and influences from literally all over the world. The second school system is for the local Caymanians. This system is paid for by their government, but it's not as good. My husband works on the computers for both school systems and says there is a noticeable difference between the systems.
Where's the best place to live? That kind of depends on you. If you have a family with small kids. I would highly recommend South Sound. This area has Smith Cove Beach which also has very good snorkeling. It also has a very nice playground in Dart Park. For us, they are both within walking distance.
If you are single, I would recommend Seven Mile Beach. It is definitely more expensive, but you will be close to all of the action. Use ECayTrade to find a roommate situation if you are short on funds. Also, I know Treasure Island has longterm rentals for a reasonable price.
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