Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Philipsburg: $3,130 a month against $3,879 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index

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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,130

/mo nomad

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Philipsburg and in Simpson Bay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Philipsburg and in Simpson Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,130 in Philipsburg versus $3,879 in Simpson Bay.

Philipsburg $3,130
Simpson Bay $3,879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,084 in Philipsburg versus $6,586 in Simpson Bay.

Philipsburg $6,084
Simpson Bay $6,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,037 in Philipsburg versus $9,293 in Simpson Bay.

Philipsburg $9,037
Simpson Bay $9,293

Living in Philipsburg costs roughly 19% less than in Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philipsburg 132% above, Simpson Bay 187% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.39 ANG 27.56

$19.30 ANG 34.54

-20.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ANG 124

$132 ANG 236

-47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 ANG 14.85

$13.10 ANG 23.44

-36.64%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ANG 7.92

$4.45 ANG 7.96

-0.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ANG 5.16

$2.96 ANG 5.29

-2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ANG 7.19

$2.92 ANG 5.23

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ANG 5.28

$5.45 ANG 9.76

-45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 ANG 11.54

$4.12 ANG 7.37

56.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.98 ANG 5.33

$4.09 ANG 7.32

-27.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ANG 4.75

$2.75 ANG 4.92

-3.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 ANG 4.57

$2.93 ANG 5.25

-12.97%

Eggs

$6.55 ANG 11.73

$4.50 ANG 8.06

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.45 ANG 33.02

$24.59 ANG 44.02

-24.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 ANG 24.96

$13.46 ANG 24.10

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 ANG 26.64

$17.21 ANG 30.80

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 ANG 9.13

$4.28 ANG 7.65

19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$5.19 ANG 9.30

$3.51 ANG 6.29

47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.87 ANG 15.88

$6.55 ANG 11.72

35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.49 ANG 13.40

$5.07 ANG 9.08

47.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ANG 7.02

$4.02 ANG 7.20

-2.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.08 ANG 7.31

$3.51 ANG 6.29

16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.95 ANG 8.86

$2.92 ANG 5.23

69.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ANG 2.42

$1.44 ANG 2.58

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 ANG 14.72

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 ANG 19.37

$14.87 ANG 26.62

-27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.89 ANG 8.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ANG 3.05

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 ANG 3.94

$3.05 ANG 5.45

-27.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.53 ANG 2.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 ANG 27.15

$15.20 ANG 27.21

-0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ANG 2.34

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$152 ANG 272

$506 ANG 906

-69.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.61 ANG 58.4

$34.60 ANG 61.9

-5.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 ANG 117

$88.9 ANG 159

-26.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 ANG 111

$75.5 ANG 135

-17.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 ANG 19.60

$7.97 ANG 14.27

37.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$255 ANG 456

$753 ANG 1,348

-66.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ANG 21.8K

$11.9K ANG 21.3K

2.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.79 ANG 89.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 ANG 70.3

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ANG 181

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 ANG 107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 ANG 3,789

$2,321 ANG 4,155

-8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 ANG 3,616

$2,246 ANG 4,020

-10.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,570 ANG 11.8K

$5,924 ANG 10.6K

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,514 ANG 11.7K

$5,759 ANG 10.3K

13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ANG 1,999

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Philipsburg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Philipsburg

$2K 64.5%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

$494 * 15.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Philipsburg

$256 8.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

$250 8%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

$84 2.7%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

- * 0%

Simpson Bay

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,117 in Philipsburg and $2,321 in Simpson Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Philipsburg vs $132 in Simpson Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $494 vs $466, with Simpson Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

Same time as Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Philipsburg Simpson Bay 5 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Philipsburg vs Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Philipsburg wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Simpson Bay. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Philipsburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,696 in Philipsburg and $5,818 in Simpson Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,117 in Philipsburg versus $2,321 in Simpson Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Simpson Bay pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,130 per month in Philipsburg versus $3,879 in Simpson Bay – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Philipsburg is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Philipsburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.