Retiring in Saint-Martin 2025 Expat Guide to Island-Style Golden Years
1. Island snapshot & retiree appeal
Saint-Martin is one 37-square-mile island governed by two nations: the northern Collectivité de Saint-Martin (France, ISO code MAF) and the southern country of Sint Maarten (Kingdom of the Netherlands, ISO code SXM). Retirees get the best of Europe and the Caribbean in one postage-stamp package—euro-style cafés in Marigot, duty-free shopping in Philipsburg, and English widely spoken on both halves.
Add in balmy 77-88 °F weather, direct flights from Miami, JFK, Toronto and Paris, and a social scene packed with sailing regattas and gourmet festivals, and you have a lifestyle that feels upscale yet laid-back. Living here does cost more than in many mainland locales, but the island regularly appears on “best Caribbean places to retire” lists thanks to tax incentives (no property tax on SXM, low 10 % “pensioner” bracket for foreign income on SXM) and strong expat infrastructure (brightpathcaribbean.com, islands.com).
2. Cost-of-living deep dive (2025 data)
| Category | Typical Price Point | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apt, city-centre | $2,300 / mo | (numbeo.com) |
| Utilities 85 m² | ca. $366 / mo | (numbeo.com) |
| Inexpensive meal | $17 | (numbeo.com) |
| Three-course dinner for two | $87.50 | (numbeo.com) |
| Gallon of milk | $13.15 | (numbeo.com) |
| Bus one-way | $2.31 | (numbeo.com) |
| Monthly transit pass | $92.51 | (numbeo.com) |
| Daily food basket (2 400 kcal) | $11.95 / day | (numbeo.com) |
| Health-care system index | 56.48 / 100 | (numbeo.com) |
What the numbers mean
Housing is by far the budget buster. Because almost everything is imported and land is scarce, a modest one-bedroom regularly tops $2 300—even outside the centre. Long-stay bargains do exist (e.g., listings from €866 to €1 100 in Howell Center) but they go quickly in high season (properstar.com).
Groceries cost roughly 10 % more than in the U.S.; dairy and fresh produce are particularly pricey because they arrive by container ship (numbeo.com). A thrifty cook who leans on local fish, frozen veg and Carrefour house brands can keep food spend close to $400–$500 / month.
Utilities & internet run hotter than you might expect: year-round A/C drives the average electric bill north of $250 in a small flat, and island-wide broadband averages $67 / mo (numbeo.com).
Transportation is optional if you settle in a walkable zone like Marigot or Simpson Bay; most retirees mix the €1.50 “taxi-bus” vans with the occasional rental car.
3. Sample retirement budgets
| Lifestyle tier | Who it suits | Monthly spend | Annual spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low (Beach-comber) | Single renter in a studio outside centre, cooks at home, uses buses | $2 500 | $30 000 |
| Medium (Comfort-seeker) | Couple in a 1-bed sea-view condo, eats out 3×/wk, owns small hatchback | $3 500 | $42 000 |
| High (Luxury) | Home-owning couple in a 3-bed villa w/ pool, boating club, private insurance | $6 000 | $72 000 |
These figures combine Numbeo price medians with local rental listings and expat surveys that peg total living costs for comfortable retirees at $2 500–$3 500 per month (nextgenerationequity.com).
4. Housing & real-estate
- Renting: Expect to wire first-and-last plus a one-month deposit. Furnished units dominate the market. Long-term leases (12 months) are easier on the French side; Dutch-side landlords often cap at 6 months to keep high-season flexibility.
- Buying: Foreigners may purchase freehold on both sides. Closing costs on the French side hover around 10 % (notary + registration) (retireinthecaribbean.com). The Dutch side famously has no annual property tax (brightpathcaribbean.com).
- Hurricane insurance: Budget an extra 0.6 – 1 % of property value annually; self-insured strata fees jump after every Cat-4 storm.
5. Food costs & dining culture
A baguette and espresso in Marigot still feel French—about $2.48 for the loaf and $3.87 for the coffee (numbeo.com). But island mark-ups hit imported cheeses and fresh berries hard. Shopping tips:
- Wednesday farmers’ market in Hope Estate for local mangos and herbs.
- Bulk up at Cost U Less in Philipsburg for U.S. brands.
- Waterfront happy-hour menus (4–6 pm) slash entrée prices 30–40 %.
6. Getting around, phone, leisure
- Public vans: $2–$3 per hop.
- Gasoline: ± $5.53 / gal (numbeo.com).
- SIM + 10 GB data: ± $38 / mo (numbeo.com).
- Gym membership: ± $65 / mo (numbeo.com).
7. Healthcare—what retirees really pay
Both sides have modern hospitals (Louis-Constant Fleming in Marigot; St Maarten Medical Center in Philipsburg). Out-of-pocket GP visit: €35–€45; dental cleaning: €80–€120. The island scores 56.48/100 for overall health-care quality—respectable infrastructure, but slow diagnostics and limited specialists, so most expats carry evacuation cover (numbeo.com). International health plans for ages 60–70 start around $2 800 – $3 600 per year with a $1 000 deductible (worldsupporter.org).
French-side residents contributing to the Caisse Générale de Sécurité Sociale can get 70 % reimbursement on public-sector fees after three months’ residence, but retirees still top-up with “mutuelle” private plans.
8. Residency, tax & banking basics
- French Collectivité: Apply for a renewable “Carte de Séjour” if you have €1 200+ monthly income or equivalent savings. Time spent here counts toward a French long-term resident permit.
- Dutch country: The Retiree Permit (“Penshonado”) requires 50 years of age and proof of $1 890 monthly income or a $255 000 bank deposit; pensioners pay just 10 % tax on worldwide income up to ANG 1.12 m (~$625 k) (brightpathcaribbean.com).
- Banking: Euro accounts on the north, Netherlands-Antillean guilder (pegged to USD) on the south—most expats keep both for currency hedging.
9. Pros, cons & hurricane truths
Pros
- Direct U.S./EU links and English fluency
- Zero property tax (SXM) & low pensioner tax band
- French food culture + Dutch nightlife
- Robust sailing / volunteering / expat meetups
Cons
- Housing & groceries costlier than in the States
- Limited tertiary healthcare—evac policies essential
- Hurricane season June-Nov; annual prep costs
- Slow bureaucracy—island time is real
Bottom line: If you can stomach big-city rent in exchange for daily turquoise water and warm croissants, Saint-Martin delivers a high-quality island retirement, especially for those with at least a $3 000-a-month budget and solid health insurance. The rest is sunshine and bon vivre.