Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpson Bay and Philipsburg

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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Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,879

/mo nomad

Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Simpson Bay $3,879
Philipsburg $3,130

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

Simpson Bay $6,586
Philipsburg $6,084

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

Simpson Bay $9,293
Philipsburg $9,037

Living in Simpson Bay is roughly 24% more expensive than in Philipsburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 ANG 34.54

$15.39 ANG 27.56

25.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 ANG 236

$69.4 ANG 124

89.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 ANG 23.44

$8.30 ANG 14.85

57.83%

Cappuccino

$4.45 ANG 7.96

$4.42 ANG 7.92

0.68%

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

$2.96 ANG 5.29

$2.88 ANG 5.16

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ANG 5.23

$4.01 ANG 7.19

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 ANG 9.76

$2.95 ANG 5.28

84.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 ANG 7.37

$6.45 ANG 11.54

-36.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.09 ANG 7.32

$2.98 ANG 5.33

37.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 ANG 4.92

$2.66 ANG 4.75

3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 ANG 5.25

$2.55 ANG 4.57

14.90%

Eggs

$4.50 ANG 8.06

$6.55 ANG 11.73

-31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.59 ANG 44.02

$18.45 ANG 33.02

33.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 ANG 24.10

$13.94 ANG 24.96

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ANG 30.80

$14.88 ANG 26.64

15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 ANG 7.65

$5.10 ANG 9.13

-16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 ANG 6.29

$5.19 ANG 9.30

-32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.55 ANG 11.72

$8.87 ANG 15.88

-26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.08

$7.49 ANG 13.40

-32.31%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 ANG 7.20

$3.92 ANG 7.02

2.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ANG 6.29

$4.08 ANG 7.31

-13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ANG 5.23

$4.95 ANG 8.86

-41.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ANG 2.58

$1.35 ANG 2.42

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 ANG 14.72

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 ANG 26.62

$10.82 ANG 19.37

37.43%

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)

$3.05 ANG 5.45

$2.20 ANG 3.94

38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.53 ANG 2.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 ANG 27.21

$15.17 ANG 27.15

0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ANG 2.34

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

$506 ANG 906

$152 ANG 272

232.54%

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

$34.60 ANG 61.9

$32.61 ANG 58.4

6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.9 ANG 159

$65.5 ANG 117

35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 ANG 135

$61.9 ANG 111

21.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 ANG 14.27

$10.95 ANG 19.60

-27.21%

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

$753 ANG 1,348

$255 ANG 456

195.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ANG 21.3K

$12.2K ANG 21.8K

-2.04%

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)

$2,321 ANG 4,155

$2,117 ANG 3,789

9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 ANG 4,020

$2,020 ANG 3,616

11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,924 ANG 10.6K

$6,570 ANG 11.8K

-9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,759 ANG 10.3K

$6,514 ANG 11.7K

-11.58%

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 Simpson Bay: October 13, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$2K 64.5%

Groceries & Markets

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$494 * 15.8%

Eating Out

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$256 8.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$250 8%

Sport & Entertainment

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$84 2.7%

Getting Around

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Simpson Bay

–

Philipsburg

- * 0%

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 $2,321 in Simpson Bay and $2,117 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Good to know

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

Same time as Simpson Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

1,900 Capital

💱 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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Simpson Bay Philipsburg 5 km

From you

Simpson Bay
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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

Simpson Bay vs Philipsburg: 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 $5,818 in Simpson Bay and $4,696 in Philipsburg 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: $2,321 in Simpson Bay versus $2,117 in Philipsburg. 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 $3,879 per month in Simpson Bay versus $3,130 in Philipsburg – 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.