For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,791 in Sint Maarten, rent and utilities included – about $36,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Sint Maarten and in China
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sint Maarten and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,791 in Sint Maarten versus $791 in China.
Sint Maarten $3,791
China $791
Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,693 in Sint Maarten versus $1,251 in China.
Sint Maarten $6,693
China $1,251
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,595 in Sint Maarten versus $1,711 in China.
Sint Maarten $9,595
China $1,711
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Sint Maarten: monthly costs span $2,291 to $3,850, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sint Maarten.
🌍
Living in Sint Maarten is roughly 379% more expensive than in China on average.
📊
Sint Maarten (179% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.29ANG 30.94
$2.98¥19.84
480.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.7ANG 132
$22.09¥147
233.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.04ANG 17.98
$5.20¥34.66
93.08%
Cappuccino
$4.59ANG 8.22
$2.97¥19.77
54.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06ANG 5.47
$0.48¥3.19
537.50%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52ANG 6.31
$0.30¥2.01
1073.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.07ANG 7.29
$1.08¥7.19
276.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46ANG 9.77
$2.28¥15.18
139.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.58ANG 6.42
$1.80¥11.98
98.89%
White Bread(500g)
$2.73ANG 4.89
$1.68¥11.17
62.50%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.07ANG 5.50
$0.92¥6.14
233.70%
Eggs
$5.17ANG 9.26
$1.61¥10.75
221.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$20.47ANG 36.65
$13.38¥89.2
52.99%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.53ANG 26.00
$3.35¥22.31
333.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.11ANG 28.83
$11.35¥75.7
41.94%
Apples(1kg)
$5.27ANG 9.43
$1.82¥12.14
189.56%
Banana(1kg)
$5.13ANG 9.17
$1.31¥8.71
291.60%
Oranges(1kg)
$8.86ANG 15.87
$1.49¥9.91
494.63%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.36ANG 13.17
$1.27¥8.49
479.53%
Potato(1kg)
$4.25ANG 7.61
$0.71¥4.74
498.59%
Onion(1kg)
$3.70ANG 6.62
$0.93¥6.22
297.85%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.94ANG 7.06
$0.62¥4.12
535.48%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38ANG 2.47
$0.56¥3.75
146.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.92ANG 14.18
$3.78¥25.19
109.52%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.19ANG 20.03
$12.13¥80.9
-7.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$5.13ANG 9.18
$0.83¥5.55
518.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79ANG 3.21
$1.68¥11.23
6.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.03ANG 5.42
$0.29¥1.92
944.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$1.54ANG 2.76
$17.83¥119
-91.36%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$20.09ANG 35.96
$1.49¥9.91
1248.32%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.37¥2.50
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$7.10¥47.31
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32ANG 2.36
$1.26¥8.39
4.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$19.4K¥129.6K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$17.5K¥116.9K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$392ANG 701
$54.6¥364
618.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.70ANG 67.5
$8.73¥58.2
331.84%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.5ANG 139
$11.07¥73.8
599.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$65.9ANG 118
$40.77¥272
61.71%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.48¥96.5
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.15ANG 16.38
$6.78¥45.19
34.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$582ANG 1,041
$517¥3,443
12.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.9KANG 21.3K
$19.8K¥132.0K
-39.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.8ANG 91.0
$46.53¥310
9.22%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.58ANG 72.6
$35.66¥238
13.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101ANG 181
$77.0¥513
31.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3ANG 106
$80.3¥535
-26.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,277ANG 4,075
$386¥2,572
490.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,260ANG 4,045
$235¥1,563
863.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$6,574ANG 11.8K
$822¥5,478
699.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$6,431ANG 11.5K
$453¥3,020
1319.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$4,697¥31.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$12.0KANG 21.5K
$2,372¥15.8K
406.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sint Maarten
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,833ANG 3,280
$1,093¥7,286
67.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
3.46
44.51%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sint Maarten: October 24, 2026
Last update for China: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
$2.3K 59.6%
China
$235 29.6% ↓ 89.6%$2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
$512 13.5%
China
$210 26.5% ↓ 59%$302
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
$507 13.4%
China
$74 9.4% ↓ 85.3%$433
🍽Eating Out
Sint Maarten
$281 7.4%
China
$88 11.1% ↓ 68.7%$193
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
$113 3%
China
$108 13.6% ↓ 4.9%$5.5
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
$84 2.2%
China
$54 6.9% ↓ 35.5%$30
🚌Getting Around
Sint Maarten
$34 * 0.9%
China
$22 2.8% ↓ 33.8%$11
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
$6.4K 67%
China
$453 26.5% ↓ 93%$6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
$1.2K 12.4%
China
$483 28.3% ↓ 59.5%$709
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
$545 5.7%
China
$83 4.9% ↓ 84.7%$462
🍽Eating Out
Sint Maarten
$934 9.7%
China
$284 16.6% ↓ 69.6%$650
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
$252 2.6%
China
$239 14% ↓ 4.9%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
$168 * 1.8%
China
$123 7.2% ↓ 26.9%$45
🚌Getting Around
Sint Maarten
$74 * 0.8%
China
$45 2.6% ↓ 38.5%$28
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $2,231 in Sint Maarten, $298 in China. Capital cities: $2,126 in Philipsburg vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
💰National salary averages: $2,053 in Sint Maarten, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 649% higher in Sint Maarten.
⭐Dining out costs 355% more in Sint Maarten.
⭐Public transport is 800% more expensive in China.
⭐Salaries are about 2.4 times higher in Sint Maarten, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.
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
Sint Maarten vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Sint Maarten?
At $791 per month in China and $3,791 in Sint Maarten, there’s a 379% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between China and Sint Maarten?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $2,231 in Sint Maarten and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
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.
Sint Maarten vs other spots: cost of living compared