For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $3,791 in Sint Maarten, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Sint Maarten and in Spain
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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,791 in Sint Maarten versus $1,775 in Spain.
Sint Maarten $3,791
Spain $1,775
Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,693 in Sint Maarten versus $2,606 in Spain.
Sint Maarten $6,693
Spain $2,606
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,595 in Sint Maarten versus $3,438 in Spain.
Sint Maarten $9,595
Spain $3,438
📏
Sint Maarten ($2,291–$3,850) and Spain ($931–$2,610) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Sint Maarten is roughly 114% more expensive than in Spain on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Sint Maarten 179% above, Spain 30% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.29ANG 30.94
$16.69€15.00
3.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.7ANG 132
$55.7€50.0
32.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.04ANG 17.98
$11.37€10.21
-11.70%
Cappuccino
$4.59ANG 8.22
$2.42€2.17
89.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06ANG 5.47
$2.68€2.41
14.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52ANG 6.31
$1.79€1.61
96.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.07ANG 7.29
$3.42€3.08
19.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46ANG 9.77
$3.88€3.48
40.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.58ANG 6.42
$1.20€1.08
198.33%
White Bread(500g)
$2.73ANG 4.89
$1.48€1.33
84.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.07ANG 5.50
$1.67€1.50
83.83%
Eggs
$5.17ANG 9.26
$3.42€3.07
51.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$20.47ANG 36.65
$14.17€12.73
44.46%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.53ANG 26.00
$8.33€7.48
74.43%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.11ANG 28.83
$16.20€14.56
-0.56%
Apples(1kg)
$5.27ANG 9.43
$2.45€2.20
115.10%
Banana(1kg)
$5.13ANG 9.17
$2.03€1.83
152.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$8.86ANG 15.87
$2.08€1.87
325.96%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.36ANG 13.17
$2.58€2.32
185.27%
Potato(1kg)
$4.25ANG 7.61
$1.83€1.64
132.24%
Onion(1kg)
$3.70ANG 6.62
$2.00€1.80
85.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.94ANG 7.06
$1.31€1.18
200.76%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38ANG 2.47
$0.77€0.69
79.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.92ANG 14.18
$6.36€5.72
24.53%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.19ANG 20.03
$5.64€5.07
98.40%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$5.13ANG 9.18
$1.30€1.17
294.62%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79ANG 3.21
$2.09€1.87
-14.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.03ANG 5.42
$1.64€1.48
84.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$1.54ANG 2.76
$32.91€29.57
-95.32%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$20.09ANG 35.96
$4.43€3.98
353.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.47€1.32
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$24.98€22.45
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32ANG 2.36
$1.77€1.59
-25.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$35.5K€31.9K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$30.6K€27.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$392ANG 701
$149€134
162.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.70ANG 67.5
$17.67€15.88
113.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.5ANG 139
$31.88€28.64
143.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$65.9ANG 118
$44.24€39.75
49.03%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.29€13.74
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.15ANG 16.38
$9.66€8.68
-5.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$582ANG 1,041
$544€489
6.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.9KANG 21.3K
$10.6K€9,530
12.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.8ANG 91.0
$84.9€76.3
-40.14%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.58ANG 72.6
$37.11€33.35
9.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101ANG 181
$89.2€80.1
13.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3ANG 106
$106€95.0
-43.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,277ANG 4,075
$1,056€949
115.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,260ANG 4,045
$808€726
179.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$6,574ANG 11.8K
$1,621€1,456
305.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$6,431ANG 11.5K
$1,246€1,120
416.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$4,135€3,716
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$12.0KANG 21.5K
$2,633€2,365
356.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sint Maarten
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,833ANG 3,280
$1,999€1,796
-8.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
3.3
51.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sint Maarten: October 24, 2026
Last update for Spain: 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%
Spain
$808 45.5% ↓ 64.3%$1.5K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
$512 13.5%
Spain
$272 15.3% ↓ 46.9%$240
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
$507 13.4%
Spain
$199 11.2% ↓ 60.8%$308
🍽Eating Out
Sint Maarten
$281 7.4%
Spain
$239 13.5% ↓ 14.8%$42
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
$113 3%
Spain
$143 8% ↑ 25.9%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
$84 2.2%
Spain
$64 3.6% ↓ 24.5%$21
🚌Getting Around
Sint Maarten
$34 * 0.9%
Spain
$51 2.9% ↑ 51.8%$17
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sint Maarten
$6.4K 67%
Spain
$1.2K 36.3% ↓ 80.6%$5.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sint Maarten
$1.2K 12.4%
Spain
$646 18.8% ↓ 45.8%$546
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sint Maarten
$545 5.7%
Spain
$217 6.3% ↓ 60.3%$328
🍽Eating Out
Sint Maarten
$934 9.7%
Spain
$763 22.2% ↓ 18.3%$170
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sint Maarten
$252 2.6%
Spain
$317 9.2% ↑ 25.9%$65
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sint Maarten
$168 * 1.8%
Spain
$142 4.1% ↓ 15.5%$26
🚌Getting Around
Sint Maarten
$74 * 0.8%
Spain
$106 3.1% ↑ 43.8%$32
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, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $2,126 in Philipsburg vs $1,508 in Madrid.
💰National salary averages: $2,053 in Sint Maarten, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 143% higher in Sint Maarten.
⭐Dining out costs 75% more in Sint Maarten.
⭐Public transport is 1450% more expensive in Spain.
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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Sint Maarten and Spain?
At $3,791 per month in Sint Maarten and $1,775 in Spain, there’s a 114% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $2,231 in Sint Maarten and $920 in Spain. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget in Sint Maarten or in Spain?
In Spain, $3,000 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.
Should I move to Sint Maarten or to Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Spain 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