Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Maarten and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Maarten and China

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,098 in Sint Maarten versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,671 in Sint Maarten versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,244 in Sint Maarten versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Sint Maarten is roughly 330% more expensive than in China on average.

Sint Maarten (125% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sint Maarten: monthly costs span $2,339 to $3,822, compared to $468$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sint Maarten.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.14 ANG 30.60
$2.93 ¥19.60
484.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 ANG 132
$22.72 ¥152
225.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.93 ANG 17.73
$5.07 ¥33.95
95.86%
Cappuccino
$4.38 ANG 7.81
$2.94 ¥19.70
48.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 ANG 5.50
$0.48 ¥3.21
541.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 ANG 6.39
$0.30 ¥2.02
1093.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 ANG 6.94
$1.06 ¥7.10
266.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.61 ANG 10.01
$2.25 ¥15.07
149.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.60 ANG 6.42
$1.79 ¥11.99
101.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 ANG 4.94
$1.70 ¥11.35
62.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 ANG 5.33
$0.96 ¥6.45
211.46%
Eggs
$5.12 ANG 9.14
$1.61 ¥10.79
218.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.61 ANG 36.78
$13.60 ¥91.1
51.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.38 ANG 25.67
$3.41 ¥22.84
321.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.07 ANG 28.69
$11.07 ¥74.2
45.17%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 ANG 9.21
$1.81 ¥12.09
185.08%
Banana (1kg)
$5.11 ANG 9.12
$1.30 ¥8.74
293.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$9.16 ANG 16.34
$1.48 ¥9.91
518.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.41 ANG 13.22
$1.30 ¥8.72
470.00%
Potato (1kg)
$4.43 ANG 7.91
$0.72 ¥4.82
515.28%
Onion (1kg)
$3.73 ANG 6.65
$0.94 ¥6.31
296.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.08 ANG 7.28
$0.61 ¥4.08
568.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 ANG 2.48
$0.56 ¥3.73
148.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.01 ANG 14.31
$3.67 ¥24.58
118.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.85 ANG 19.37
$11.90 ¥79.7
-8.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.12 ANG 9.14
$0.83 ¥5.56
516.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ANG 3.17
$1.65 ¥11.08
7.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 ANG 5.39
$0.29 ¥1.92
941.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$1.54 ANG 2.75
$22.61 ¥151
-93.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$19.97 ANG 35.64
$1.45 ¥9.72
1277.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.34 ¥2.31
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.27 ¥48.72
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ANG 2.35
$1.23 ¥8.26
7.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$19.5K ¥130.9K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$17.2K ¥115.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$383 ANG 683
$55.5 ¥371
590.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.65 ANG 67.2
$8.51 ¥57.0
342.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.9 ANG 135
$10.81 ¥72.4
601.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.6 ANG 119
$40.02 ¥268
66.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.80 ¥99.1
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.79 ANG 15.69
$6.73 ¥45.09
30.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$587 ANG 1,048
$454 ¥3,042
29.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ANG 21.2K
$19.5K ¥130.8K
-39.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.07 ANG 87.6
$44.95 ¥301
9.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.37 ANG 70.3
$35.81 ¥240
9.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.7 ANG 176
$76.8 ¥514
28.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.7 ANG 107
$77.3 ¥518
-22.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,262 ANG 4,037
$385 ¥2,581
486.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,305 ANG 4,115
$242 ¥1,623
851.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$6,482 ANG 11.6K
$837 ¥5,603
674.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$6,407 ANG 11.4K
$474 ¥3,177
1250.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,619 ¥30.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.8K ANG 21.0K
$2,316 ¥15.5K
408.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,827 ANG 3,262
$1,062 ¥7,110
72.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
3.47
44.09%

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

Last update for Sint Maarten: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $2,240 in Sint Maarten, $295 in China. Capital cities: $2,165 in Philipsburg vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,061 in Sint Maarten, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 659% higher in Sint Maarten.

Dining out costs 219% more in Sint Maarten.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 138% higher in Sint Maarten, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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
Sint Maarten vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Sint Maarten?
At $852 per month in China and $3,081 in Sint Maarten, there's a 262% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Sint Maarten?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between China and Sint Maarten?
Rent in Sint Maarten is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
How far does $2,000 go in China compared to Sint Maarten?
In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Sint Maarten it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Sint Maarten?
It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Sint Maarten may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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