# What currency does Castries use?

> Castries, St. Lucia uses the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD). USD widely accepted.

- **Currency:** East Caribbean Dollar (XCD, symbol EC$)
- **Rate:** 2.7 XCD per 1 USD — pegged to the US dollar, this rate never changes
- **Example:** EC$54 ≈ $20 USD
- **US dollars accepted:** USD widely accepted
- **Time zone:** America/St_Lucia (AST)

St. Lucia uses the East Caribbean dollar, shared by eight island nations and pegged at EC$2.70 per USD since 1976. Cruise-facing businesses in Castries take USD readily; markets and buses run on EC.

## Money tips for Castries

- Quick math: EC price ÷ 2.7 ≈ USD, or knock off ⅔.
- The same EC$ works at other stops like Antigua, St. Kitts and Grenada.
- Agree taxi fares (and the currency!) before the ride.

## Related

- US customs duty-free rules: https://cruiseshiptime.app/guides/us-customs-duty-free-limits.md
- Free duty-free calculator: https://cruiseshiptime.app/duty-free-calculator
- All port currency guides: https://cruiseshiptime.app/ports

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Source: https://cruiseshiptime.app/ports/st-lucia · From ShipTime
Companion (https://cruiseshiptime.app), the offline-first cruise app.