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- By Wei Landgraf
Real Grocery, Power, Water & Internet Costs for Sint Maarten Retirees
The volatile lines of any SXM retirement budget. Get these right and the rest of your budget settles. Get them wrong and you’re $300/month over plan within six months.
I do my own grocery shopping, pay my own GEBE bill, and have helped enough new arrivals navigate where to buy what to know the patterns. Here are the real numbers and the retiree-specific strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Power (GEBE): $0.30–$0.40/kWh equivalent. Among the highest residential rates in the Caribbean. Comfortable retiree home: $300–$700/month depending on AC usage.
- Water: $40–$120/month per household; reasonable.
- Internet: $60–$130/month for fiber. Reliable in most retiree neighborhoods.
- Groceries (couple, comfortable): $700–$1,000/month. French side cheaper for produce; Carrefour Hyper U cheapest overall; small Dutch shops more expensive but convenient.
- Solar pays back in 5–7 years for retirees who plan to stay long-term and own their home.
Power (GEBE. The Dutch side electric company)
GEBE charges in the range of NAF 0.50–0.70 per kWh (~$0.28–$0.40 USD), among the highest residential rates in the Caribbean. And significantly higher than mainland US, even Florida or Hawaii.
Real monthly bills I see
| Home type | AC usage | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR condo, fans + 1 unit AC at night | Light | $120–$200 |
| 2BR condo, daytime AC living room, night AC bedrooms | Moderate | $300–$450 |
| 3BR home, full central AC | Heavy | $500–$800 |
| Villa with pool, full AC, electric water heater | Maximum | $700–$1,200 |
Retiree strategies that work
- Solar PV. A 5–8 kW system runs $12,000–$22,000 installed. Net-metering reduces your bill 60-90% in clear-sky months. Payback 5–7 years; lifetime savings significant for 15-year retirements.
- Solar water heater. Cheaper than full PV ($1,500–$3,500) and immediately cuts hot-water electric load. Almost always pays back in 2-3 years.
- Inverter mini-split AC. 30-40% more efficient than older central AC.
- Ceiling fans + cross-ventilation. Most homes here are designed for trade-wind cooling. Use it.
- Time-of-use awareness. GEBE doesn’t currently have major time-of-use pricing for residential, but monitor for changes.
- Pool pumps on timers. Limit pump runtime to 4-6 hours.
- Generator + battery. For outages (which happen). A 3-5 kWh battery + portable generator stack is $4,000–$8,000.
Common gotcha
The first GEBE bill in your name often arrives 6–10 weeks after you move in, covering a partial period at higher tier rates. Budget a $400–$700 first bill even if your normal bill will run lower.
Water
Water in Sint Maarten comes from desalinated seawater (the island has no fresh-water aquifers). It’s potable from the tap in most modern buildings, though some retirees use a filter or buy bottled.
Real monthly bills
- 1BR condo, two adults, conservative: $30–$50
- 2BR condo with occasional guests: $50–$80
- 3BR home with garden + pool: $80–$200
Strategies
- Pool refills are the variable line. Top up only when needed.
- Garden drip-irrigation systems on timers.
- Greywater reuse for landscaping (some newer homes plumb for this).
- Filters at the tap if you don't trust the desalinated taste. $50 for the filter, $30/year cartridges.
Internet and phone
Internet
The two main providers Dutch-side: Flow and TelEm. French side: Orange and DauphinTel. Fiber is widely available in newer condo developments and most retiree neighborhoods.
| Plan tier | Speed | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 50–100 Mbps | $40–$60 |
| Mid | 200–500 Mbps | $70–$100 |
| Premium | 1 Gbps | $110–$130 |
For most retirees, mid-tier is plenty. Streaming, video calling, light remote work. All fine on 200 Mbps.
Phone
- A SXM phone number with a local prepaid plan ($20–$40/month).
- Their US/Canadian number on a separate line via WhatsApp Number, Google Voice, or Skype.
International calling via WhatsApp/FaceTime is the norm; almost no retiree pays for a traditional international long-distance plan.
Gas (for vehicles)
Sint Maarten gas prices float with global oil. As of May 2026:
- Gasoline: roughly NAF 2.40–2.80 per liter (~USD $5.00–$5.85/gallon equivalent).
- Diesel: similar.
A modest sedan (Honda Fit, Hyundai i10) drives roughly $80–$120/month for typical retiree usage. An SUV or pickup runs $150–$250/month.
Groceries. Where, what, and how much
The grocery question is part economics, part ritual. The retiree pattern:
The four major stores
| Store | Side | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Le Grand Marché | Dutch (Cole Bay & multiple) | Wide selection, mid-pricing, US-friendly brands |
| Carrefour (Hyper U Marigot) | French (Marigot) | Best prices, French/EU brands, great cheese & produce |
| Maho Market | Dutch (Maho) | Premium, smaller, convenience-priced |
| CostULess | Dutch (Cole Bay) | Bulk warehouse style, US club similar |
Pricing patterns
- Imported US/EU branded goods: 25-40% above mainland US.
- Local & French-side produce, French wines, French cheese: 0-15% above mainland (often cheaper).
- Meat (US imports): 15-30% premium.
- Local seafood: competitive or below US prices when in-season.
- Local rum and many spirits: competitive or below US.
- Imported craft beer (US): premium.
- Cleaning supplies, paper products: 20-40% premium.
A realistic retiree weekly grocery list (couple, comfortable)
| Category | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Produce (mostly French side) | $50 |
| Meat & seafood | $60 |
| Dairy & eggs | $25 |
| Bread, pasta, grains | $20 |
| Beverages (water, juice, soda) | $25 |
| Wine & spirits | $30 |
| Cleaning & paper | $15 |
| Misc | $25 |
| Weekly | $250 |
| Monthly | $1,000 |
That’s couple-comfortable. Couple-frugal can do $700/month with French-side discipline. Couple-premium runs $1,300+/month.
Retiree shopping strategies
- French-side produce trip every 7-14 days. Carrefour, Hyper U, or Marigot market. Save 25-40% on fresh produce.
- Buy meat and dairy frozen at CostULess in bulk. Less per-unit cost.
- Avoid Maho Market for staples. Use it for convenience items only.
- Skip imported snacks. $7 for a box of US cereal vs $4 for a French equivalent isn’t worth it.
- Order Amazon staples in pallet shipments. A few retirees coordinate quarterly Amazon-to-Miami-to-SXM shipments for non-perishables; saves 30-50% on items you want to replicate from home.
- Befriend a fishmonger. Local catch direct from a fisherman is fresher and cheaper than retail.
Restaurants. The daily/weekly variable
Mid-range dinner for two: – Local lolo / casual: $25–$40 – Mid-range Dutch side: $60–$90 – Mid-range French side bistro: $70–$100 – Premium dining: $150–$250
A “comfortable” couple eating out 3 times a week mixed: $400–$550/month.
Common questions
Should I go solar? If you plan to be in your home for 5+ years and you own outright: yes. Payback is 5-7 years, and the savings compound.
Can I drink the tap water? In most modern condos and homes, yes. It’s desalinated and treated. In older buildings, retirees often filter or use bottled. Ask your specific property.
What’s the cheapest way to keep cool? Cross-ventilation + ceiling fans + selective AC. Many retirees use AC only at night in the bedroom. Saves 40-60% off “always on” living.
Are GEBE rates going up? GEBE rates fluctuate with global fuel costs (the island generates power on imported diesel currently). Long-term trend is mildly upward. The island is exploring more renewables but progress is slow.
Should I get a generator? Power outages happen but are usually short (under 4 hours). A small portable generator + battery backup combo is enough for most retirees. Whole-house auto-transfer generators ($8K-$15K) are luxury, not necessity.
What about backup water? Most condos and homes have rooftop cisterns of 200–500 gallons that buffer brief utility outages. Larger homes have 1,000+ gallon cisterns. You’re rarely without water for more than a few hours in normal operations.
Is internet reliable for remote work? Yes for most retirees doing video calls and email. Fiber service is generally good. Power outages affect internet briefly. UPS battery on the router is cheap insurance.
What to do next
01
Set realistic baselines using the numbers above for your specific home size and location.
02
Track actual spend monthly for the first 6 months. Adjust budget when reality diverges.
03
Plan a solar evaluation if you’re staying long-term and own.
04
Build a French-side shopping rhythm into your weekly schedule.
05
Read the full cost of living guide for the surrounding budget categories.