Living in St Maarten and St Martin: Where Residents Live, Area by Area (2026)

Oct 21

6 min read

One island. Two countries. A dozen ways to live on it. Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin share one small island, but daily life in Maho has little in common with daily life in Grand Case or Guana Bay. Before you buy a home to live in, choose the life you want: the noise level, the commute, the wind, the school run, the beach at the end of the road.

This guide is written for people who plan to live here, full time or for the whole winter. It is built from our own neighborhood pages and from the homes Andreu Realty has for sale on 21 October 2026. For permits and the move itself, read Moving to Sint Maarten from the US or Canada. For bills and budgets, read our cost of living guide.

The basics of living here

Two sides, no border control between them. The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, uses the Caribbean guilder, pegged at US$1 = XCG 1.79, and prices are quoted in dollars almost everywhere. The French side, Saint-Martin, uses the euro. Many residents live on one side and shop, eat or work on the other.

Owning a home does not give you the right to live here. Residence is a separate permit on each side, with its own rules. Our guide can foreigners buy property in St Maarten and St Martin explains what buying does and does not give you.

Traffic shapes the day more than distance does. The island is small, but the roads between Simpson Bay, Cole Bay and Philipsburg fill up at rush hour, and the Simpson Bay Lagoon drawbridge opens a few times a day. Live close to where you work, shop and take the children to school.

Simpson Bay and Maho: the lively west

Simpson Bay runs between a two-kilometre beach and Simpson Bay Lagoon. It is the centre of the island's yachting and nightlife: marinas, the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, and a long strip of restaurants and bars. The airport is in the neighborhood. If you want to walk to dinner and fly out in ten minutes, this is the place. Read more on our Simpson Bay page.

Maho is the island's liveliest corner, at the end of the runway, where jets pass low over Maho Beach. Maho Village puts a casino, restaurants, bars and shops within a few walkable blocks, with Mullet Bay Beach and the golf course next door. It suits people who like life around them. Light sleepers should visit at night first. See Maho.

On the market now: the Simpson Bay Yacht Club waterfront condo at $375,000, and La Terrasse in Maho Village, a one-bedroom at $285,000.

Cupecoy and Pelican Key: gated and residential

Cupecoy sits at the western tip of the Dutch side, at the French border, where sandstone cliffs drop to a small beach. Most homes are condos in gated residences and in the Porto Cupecoy marina village. Maho and the airport are minutes away, and so is the AUC medical school campus. It is the island's largest condo market: 24 of our listings are in Cupecoy today. See Cupecoy and, for condos near the campus, buying near AUC.

Pelican Key rises above Simpson Bay, with villas and condos looking over the bay and the sea. Kim Sha Beach and a well-stocked provisioning store are at the foot of the hill. It is quieter than the Simpson Bay strip and a short drive from it. See Pelican Key.

On the market now: Rainbow Beach Club, a furnished two-bedroom in Cupecoy at $525,000, and Villa Del Mar, a four-bedroom ocean-view villa in Pelican Key at $1,900,000.

Cole Bay, Cay Hill and Little Bay: the central districts

This is where many year-round residents live. Cay Hill and Little Bay form the central district between Cole Bay and Philipsburg, where the Dutch side keeps its hospital, its main private school and its university. A new general hospital is under construction. Little Bay Beach is at the foot of the hill. See Cay Hill and Little Bay.

Cole Bay is the island's working waterfront: marinas, boatyards and hillside estates above the lagoon, with the causeway bridge straight to Simpson Bay and the airport. See Cole Bay.

On the market now: new three-bedroom condos in Cay Hill at $725,000, and Solea Residence in Little Bay, a two-bedroom with panoramic views at $650,000.

Philipsburg's hills and the east coast: views, wind and space

Point Blanche climbs the headland above Great Bay and the cruise port. Most homes are apartments and condos with harbour or ocean views, and Front Street is a short drive. Over the ridge, Guana Bay is a hillside of villas on large plots facing the Atlantic, where the trade winds keep the air cooler than on the leeward coast. Further east, Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach wrap around a sheltered lagoon, with Philipsburg about ten minutes west and Orient Bay ten minutes north. See Point Blanche, Guana Bay and Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach.

On the market now: Windgate in Point Blanche, a renovated condo with sea views at $650,000; a five-bedroom duplex condo in Guana Bay at $460,000; and Princess Heights above Dawn Beach, a one-bedroom at $299,000.

The French side: village life in euros

Grand Case is an old fishing village on the calm west coast, about twenty minutes from Marigot. Creole houses line the boulevard, which has become the island's restaurant strip. Orient Bay is the resort village on the Atlantic, built around almost two kilometres of white sand, with a walkable village square behind the beach. Terres Basses is a gated enclave of about 300 private estates with no shops at all. Life on the French side runs in French, in euros, under French law; homes are bought through a notaire. See Grand Case, Orient Bay and Terres Basses.

On the market now: Lotus, a new three-bedroom villa in Grand Case at $920,000 (coming soon).

What to check before you buy a home to live in

Visit at the hours you will live there: the night in Maho, the morning commute from Cole Bay, a windy afternoon in Guana Bay.
Ask for twelve months of electricity bills. Air conditioning drives the bill; inverter units and solar change it.
Check what the building has for storms: hurricane shutters, impact windows, a backup generator. Many of our listings state them. Our hurricane plan for owners covers the rest.
Working from home? Ask whether the building has fiber internet.
In a condo, read the house rules, the budget and the reserve fund. Fees decide your monthly cost more than the price does.
Not sure yet? Rent first. Buying vs renting in Sint Maarten helps you decide.

What buying costs on the Dutch side

Buyers budget about 5.5% of the price in closing costs, including the 4% transfer tax. The deposit is typically 10%, held by the notary, and closing takes 30 to 60 days from the signed agreement. The full process is in our buyer's guide. Away part of the year? Our property management team looks after the home or rents it out, for 20% of rental income.

Questions we get

Is St Maarten a good place to live?

For many of our clients, yes: two cultures on one island, English spoken everywhere, an international airport and a wide choice of neighborhoods. Daily costs are higher than in most of the US or Canada, mainly electricity and imported goods.

Where do full-time residents live in St Maarten?

Many live in the central districts, Cole Bay, Cay Hill and Little Bay, close to the hospital, schools and shops. Others choose Pelican Key, Point Blanche, Oyster Pond or, on the French side, Grand Case and Orient Bay.

Does buying a home let me live in St Maarten?

No. Owning property does not give you the right to live here. Residence is a separate permit on each side of the island.

What currency do residents use?

The Dutch side uses the Caribbean guilder, pegged at US$1 = XCG 1.79, and dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The French side uses the euro.

Which area is quietest?

Terres Basses, Guana Bay and Pelican Key are among the quieter areas. Maho and the Simpson Bay strip are the liveliest.

Prices and listings from Andreu Realty's properties on 21 October 2026. See every property for sale, condos for sale and villas for sale, read our FAQ, or talk to our team: +1 721 550-0150 (Dutch side), +590 690 08-2220 (French side and WhatsApp).