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On a budget? Key West on the cheap isn’t easy, but here are tips

A Key West vacation won’t be cheap — no matter how many tips you read or how much you plan.

In 2023, Key West’s average hotel room rate was about $320 a night — among the highest in the country.

In addition, restaurant prices have risen, and you can spend lots of money on admissions and tours.

But the reason Key West commands high prices is that it is a special one-of-kind city and it’s a long way from alternative places to lodge. With history going back hundreds of years, well-preserved architectural gems, a funky street life and great outdoors activities in the surrounding waters, it’s a shame to pass up Key West because it is expensive.

It’s not easy, but it is possible to visit Key West on a budget. The key strategies are:

Key West oon a budget: Key West Bed and Breakfast, 415 William Street, is a turn-of-the-century house decorated with original art, vibrant color and serving a spectacular breakfast . (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Key West on a budget: Key West Bed and Breakfast, 415 William Street, is a turn-of-the-century house decorated with original art, vibrant color and serving a spectacular breakfast . (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
  • Go during the off season, roughly June to November. (September and November are the cheapest of all.)
  • Shop around for accommodations and compromise on amenities or location.
  • Seek out affordable, casual restaurants. If you want to enjoy a special meal, make it lunch when a splurge will still cost less.
  • Take advantage of the many terrific free and inexpensive things to do in Key West.

Finding a budget Key West hotel or B&B

Even in the summer off-season, your first search for basic Key West motels will come up with rooms starting at least $200 a night. I’ve tried several strategies to beat that price – some successful; some not.

I found bargains in the eastern part of Key West, three miles from Old Town. There are a dozen hotels clustered on Roosevelt Boulevard at the entrance to Key West. They share a shuttle service into Old Town, which helps with parking.

The problem here is that the location isn’t ideal and the price included add-on fees — a $10 “resort” fee at a run-down motel and a $20 parking fee at the very nice Marriott Key West Beachside Hotel.

I had better luck finding accommodations in Key West where I compromised on amenities. One of the great charms of Key West is the historic bed and breakfasts in Old Town. 

Most go for $300 to $400 a night. But there are a few quality places where several bedrooms share a common bathroom, and the savings are great.

At Key West B&B. we stayed in Mo's Room, a second-story room that was one of four sharing two bathrooms.
Key West on the cheap: At Key West B&B. we stayed in Mo’s Room, a second-story room that was one of four sharing two bathrooms.

Americans love their plumbing, but if you can share a little — as frugal travelers do elsewhere in the world — you can stay in Key West’s Old Town at a great B&B.

We stayed at the Key West Bed and Breakfast, 415 William Street, Key West, a turn-of-the-century house decorated with original art, vibrant color and serving a spectacular breakfast of fresh fruits and homemade blueberry coffee cake.

Booking rooms in Key West requires a consumer to be vigilant: Everybody, it seems, finds ways to tack on extra fees.

The historic Curry House B&B where I stayed recently added a $35 a night “cleaning fee” that was not disclosed in advance (or was extremely well hidden.) With that charge, it was no longer a budget option.

“Resort fees” of $15 and even $50 a night are common, and you often discover them only when checking in, so if you’re on a budget, ask ahead of time.

Other lower priced alternatives in Old Town guest houses: Eden House (starts at $205 off-season), Duval House (as low as $155 for a November date), Caribbean House (as low as $150 for an early December date), Paradise Inn (as low as $125 for a date in December.) La Pensione (as low as $150 in early December.) These choices all have private baths; most do not allow children.

Be aware though: These places will be at least $300 a night Janurary to April. For example, La Pensione has rooms for $150 in early December. In mid-January; rooms are $415.

The least expensive lodging in Key West would be 10-bunk-beds to a room at Seashell Motel and Key West Hostel. Hostel beds start at $69 per person; bare-bones motel rooms at $119. Reviews are mixed.

Airbnb and VRBO both have many properties in Key West and some appear to beat hotel prices. One of the most intriguing types of listing are houseboats. If you’re considering a houseboat rental, read this advice from Karuna Eberl, co-author of “Key West & the Lower Keys Travel Guide” with a few tips and questions to ask. 

Also, beware of add-on prices that can dramatically increase VRBO and AirBnB prices.

There are some other vacation rental networks that include Key West listings and they are worth browsing. (You can find them by Googling “owner vacation rentals key west.” I can’t vouch for them, having never tried them, but I saw some potentially good values.)

Another alternative for a reasonably priced room is to stay in the Upper or Middle Keys and come to Key West for a day trip.

One nearby place to stay is Parmer’s Resort, 565 Little Torch Key.  It’s 27 miles or 40 minutes outside Key West.  During low season (September through mid-December), rooms start at $160. This is a 1950s-vintage Keys-style waterfront resort with pool, views and breakfast included. Like a lot of Keys properties, Parmer’s used to be more moderately priced, but it’s a good value if you want a resort experience AND a visit to Key West. Rooms in January start at $156, but most are $270 and up.

A few other inexpensive nearby choices: Sugarloaf Lodge is 17 miles from Key West and offers basic waterfront rooms off-season starting at $155.

Unadorned and very basic roadside motel rooms are $109 off season at Big Pine Key Motel, 30725 Overseas Hwy, Big Pine Key, which is 29 miles from Key West. Looe Key Reef Resort, 25 miles from Key West, caters to divers and offers basic rooms for as little as $155 in the fall low season.

You can find summer rates that are lower in the motels of Marathon. These are an hour from Key West, but it’s a beautiful drive over the Seven Mile Bridge.

We’ve stayed in some ordinary mom-and-pop motels in Marathon for $135 to $175 – the Blackfin Resort and Marina, 4650 Overseas Highway, and the Kingsail Resort, 7050 Overseas Highway.

These are not memorable; rather, they are just places to sleep while you fill your days with activities.

If you’re a camper, camping is another good way to make your trip inexpensive. Campsites in the Keys are way more expensive compared to other locales (as much as $100 a night for tents), but they still may save you over hotel rooms.

My colleague Bob Rountree has all the details on camping in the Lower Keys here.

In search of budget Key West restaurants

B.O.’s Fish Wagon is an open-air assemblage of drift wood, recycled sheets of tin and a 1950s Chevy truck apparently held together by bumper stickers.
Key West on a budget: B.O.’s Fish Wagon is an open-air assemblage of drift wood, recycled sheets of tin and a 1950s Chevy truck apparently held together by bumper stickers. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Key West is foodie heaven, with prices to match.  

Finding good buys in restaurants will take some planning: You may not stumble across these places when you get hungry unless you keep a map handy.

One tip for dining in Key West is to make your main evening meal a tasty assemblage of half-price happy hour appetizers.

An especially good place for happy hour is the historic Key West Seaport. The boardwalk along the harbor is one of the best free activities in Key West.

Folks are feeding tarpon from the docks, fishing charters are displaying their catches and all the colorful yachts and historic ships are on display, with flags snapping.

We shared Alonzo’s sampler: four conch fritters, four Buffalo shrimp, four fish fingers and a pile of onion rings. That would be $17.30, but happy hour prices made it $8.65.
Key West on a budget: We dined on appetizers at Alonzo’s during happy hour.

Many harbor restaurants have happy hours, but I can recommend Alonzo’s Oyster Bar, 700 Front St., Key West. All drinks and an extensive selection of appetizers are half price from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and it’s easy to make a meal of it. We sat outside overlooking the harbor in a setting that didn’t compromise on atmosphere.

First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery in Key West is located in the historic offices of Pan Am, which sold its first ticket to Havana from this buildings. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Happy hour at First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery in Key West is good for Key West on a budget. It is located in the historic offices of Pan Am, which sold its first ticket to Havana from this buildings.(Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Beyond the harbor area but still centrally located, First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery, 301 Whitehead St., has a great happy hour at the bar and nearby high-tops. First Flight is located in the beautifully restored historic building that was the ticket office for Pan Am in the 1920s when it began air service between Key West and Havana.

From 4 to 6 p.m., happy hour brings cheap drinks and great appetizers at $5 to $7 a dish. We put together a delicious dinner combining beef brisket mac and cheese, Six Hour Confit Chicken Wings and a plate with three kinds of hummus.

After you eat “dinner” at happy hour, head to a vantage point for sunset. Afterwards, you can enjoy a late-night Cuban sandwich, conch fritters or an arepa at a variety of inexpensive, atmospheric Key West eateries where you order food at a counter and eat at a picnic table or bench.

Frita's Cuban Burger Cafe in Key West has a few outdoor seats where you can enjoy Cuban sandwiches, arepas, spicy Cuban burgers and other budget-friendly foods. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Key West on a budget: Frita’s Cuban Burger Cafe in Key West has a few outdoor seats where you can enjoy Cuban sandwiches, arepas, spicy Cuban burgers and other budget-friendly foods. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

A few good examples:

We had a great Cuban sandwich ($11) at Frita’s Cuban Burger Cafe, 425 Southard St. Frita’s Cuban burger ($10) is unusual and spicy. Seating is in a small outdoor patio or benches at the take-out window.

B.O’s Fish Wagon, 801 Caroline St., Key West, is virtually legendary for its funky Key West style.
Key West on the cheap: B.O’s Fish Wagon, 801 Caroline St., Key West, is  legendary for its funky Key West style.

Near the seport, is the legendary B.O’s Fish Wagon at 801 Caroline St., Key West. B.O.’s Fish Wagon is an open-air assemblage of drift wood, recycled sheets of tin and a 1950s Chevy truck apparently held together by bumper stickers. Folks rave about the fish tacos.

Nearby, Garbo’s Grill at 603 Greene St., Key West, is sort of a permanently stationed food truck. Seating is outdoors on milks crates or coolers. Their mahi tacos and  Kogi Koren Beef Shortribs, however, ensure there is usually a line and a festive atmosphere.

The Conch Shack on Duval in Key West is a tiny bargain-priced spot for authentic food.
Key West on a budget: The Conch Shack on Duval in Key West is a tiny bargain-priced spot for authentic food. The restaurant is no more than 10 feet wide and accepts only cash.

Right on Duval Street is a small treasurethe Conch Shack, a restaurant no more than 10 feet wide that accepts only cash and serves up fresh, reasonably priced fare. Three conch fritters are $6; a cheeseburger is $9. Seating is on stools at a counter.

key west on a budget old town bakery with key lime pie On a budget? Key West on the cheap isn't easy, but here are tips
Old Town Bakery, 930 Eaton Street, Key West, is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is known for its key lime pie.

For breakfast or lunch, consider this gem:

A budget-friendly but delicious spot for your obligatory key lime pie is the Old Town Bakery. It’s off the beaten path, five blocks east of Duval at Eaton and Grinnell streets. The key lime pie, ranked in the top 10 in the Keys by Miami New Times is $3.75 a slice with fresh in-house whipped cream, whereas other key lime pies on restaurant menus are $7-$10 a slice. There are also a dozen $10 sandwiches, or come for breakfast for $7.25 breakfast burritos or $4 almond croissants. Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For an air-conditioned restaurant with table service, we can suggest two classic Key West spots:

You can get reasonably priced diner fare at Harpoon Harry’s, 832 Caroline St. One thing that keeps prices down is that this is a cash-only business. It is most popular for breakfast and lunch ($10 to $12 for sandwiches) but there’s a blue-plate specials for $12.95 each night.

As I asked Key West residents for suggestions for budget dining, at least three people recommended the classic Cuban restaurant , El Siboney, 900 Catherine St., Key West. This is a traditional restaurant with table service and bargain prices — $13.95 for three different preparations of pork, $17.95 for grilled mahi or grouper, topping out at $24.75 for a few types of steak. It was all good and service was efficient. There is now an El Siboney on nearby Stock Island too.

key west on a budget latitudes boat ferry On a budget? Key West on the cheap isn't easy, but here are tips
A “splurgy” lunch at Latitudes on Sunset Key comes with a quick boat ride to and from the island. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

For that “special” lunch, we thought booking a table at Latitudes, located on an island off Key West called Sunset Key, was perfect because it includes a boat ride from Key West to the island. It’s perhaps a 10 minute ride, but the Caribbean color of the water was stunning to see from a boat. The tables have spectacular oceanfront views (with indoor and outdoor seating) and the food is excellent. Lunch for two, including tax and tip, was $70. (It looks like a great place for a splurgy breakfast too.)

Free fun is the secret to Key West on the cheap

It’s easy to be entertained on the cheap by Key West: On your first visit, you might spend all day just wandering historic Old Town and joining the nightly street carnival at Mallory Square sunsets.

But there are so many alternatives that Florida Rambler has devoted another whole article to free things to do in Key West.

Planning your trip to the Florida Keys

Key West and Lower Keys


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Philip Roddy Jr

Wednesday 23rd of January 2019

If you folks want lower room prices in Key West then stop going. If there rooms don't fill up then they're forced to drop their prices.

Dennis Dowhy

Saturday 13th of October 2018

I truly love the keys. It's unfortunate that they have priced themselves out of business. I just switched to cruise ship travel to the Caribbean because it cost is so much cheaper. A night in the keys goes from 200-900+ a cruise is less than 100 up to 1000 but that is a week or much more. Check out cruises vs rental in the keys.

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