Sint Maarten · roaming cost calculator
Sint Maarten Roaming Price Audit: Local Networks, Two Prices
HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, does not sell Sint Maarten: its catalogue of 29 Oct 2026 lists 185 destinations. In Caribbean it sells 24 destinations, among them Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas, so a trip that continues there can switch to it. HelloRoam's 7-day unlimited plan has a median price of $21.50 across the 35 countries where all five providers were priced.
Sint Maarten is priced two ways here, travel eSIM data at $2.99 a gigabyte and a US carrier day pass at $12, and both invoices arrive in dollars. HelloRoam takes payment in 31 checkout currencies, so a card in one of them pays in its own money.
HelloRoam sells 185 destinations. Airalo sells 200+, the longer list of the two.
Sint Maarten eSIM options with checked pricing
HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, sells 185 destinations and Sint Maarten is not one of them, so this page ranks no provider here. The four below list Sint Maarten plans; Airalo covers 200+ destinations to HelloRoam's 185.
Holafly's Sint Maarten plans include a 6-month refund policy for unused purchases. Coverage runs on a local 4G LTE network at a median $3.93/day, one of the longest standard refund windows in the category.
Get eSIMTelCell (TelEm) covers cities, transport hubs, and major tourist areas in Sint Maarten. Nomad sells into that market at $2.30/GB — remote rural coverage depends on local network infrastructure, not Nomad's.
Get eSIMHeavy data users in Sint Maarten should compare Airalo's 10GB plan at $2.40/GB against Holafly's unlimited tier. Airalo is cheaper under 7-8GB of daily usage.
Get eSIMSint Maarten travelers on Saily get 4G LTE data plus NordVPN-grade security at $2.60/GB. Support is email-only, with no live chat; a 30-day refund covers unused plans.
Get eSIMCompare providers: Airalo vs Holafly · Airalo vs Saily · Airalo vs Nomad · Airalo vs HelloRoam · Holafly vs Saily · Holafly vs Nomad · Holafly vs HelloRoam · Saily vs Nomad · Saily vs HelloRoam · Nomad vs HelloRoam
The full picture
Sint Maarten data roaming prices from US and UK carriers
Every major carrier's published Sint Maarten rate, side by side, with the eSIM winner highlighted.
| Carrier | Plan type | Daily | 7-day | Speed | Data limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | International Day Pass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| Verizon | TravelPass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| T-Mobile | International Pass | $10.00*source | $50.00 | LTE | 2GB per 1 Day pass |
| Xfinity Mobile | International Pass | $10.00source | $70.00 | LTE | 200 MB/day |
| eSIM · Holafly | Sold by the gigabyte | — | $2.99/GB | 4G LTE | Your choice |
*T-Mobile's Experience More plan includes 5GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15GB, then data runs at up to 256Kbps. Essentials includes texting but no data. The 1 Day International Pass costs $10; the 7-day figure is the cheapest pass mix, 10-day pass.
* Xfinity Mobile International Pass: $10/day with 200 MB/day high-speed cap
Compare all carrier roaming plans to see how AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and EE stack up against eSIM providers.
Pay-per-use cost audit
How much AT&T charges per hour in Sint Maarten without a plan
AT&T pay-per-use data in Sint Maarten costs $2.05/MB when no $12/day international day pass is active. At that rate, five common activities add up quickly.
5-minute FaceTime call (~75 MB): $154. 30-minute Zoom meeting (~450 MB): $922. 1 hour of Google Maps navigation (~50 MB): $102. Uploading 20 vacation photos (~200 MB): $410. 1 hour of YouTube (~500 MB): $1025. Combined, those five activities use roughly 1.3 GB — before background app refresh or iCloud sync adds anything. Rates checked June 2026. Source: AT&T international rate card.
Personalize your savings
Your Sint Maarten saving against $12 a day
Adjust the trip length, the carrier and the daily data below and the calculator reprices both sides. The starting point is the 10-day average stay recorded for Sint Maarten: $120 on an AT&T day pass at $12 a day, against $2.99 a gigabyte on a travel eSIM. Both prices buy access to the same local operators.
Network coverage
Local carrier network data for Sint Maarten
AT&T and Verizon connect to a local network when you roam in Sint Maarten. An eSIM routes through the same local network. Trace the data path: your phone, a local tower, the internet. That path is identical for roaming and eSIM. Only the invoice at the end changes. Verizon charges $12/day for this access; the cheapest eSIM plan for this destination works out to $2.99/GB. a local 4G LTE network covers Sint Maarten. AT&T roaming and travel eSIMs both connect to that same LTE signal. No speed difference. Only a price difference: $12/day versus $2.99/GB.
Pricing breakdown
Sint Maarten data pricing: carrier vs eSIM
How much does Sint Maarten roaming cost over 14 days? AT&T at $12/day: $120. Verizon: $168. T-Mobile at $10/day: $75. A 10GB eSIM on a local network: $29.90. The difference between the cheapest carrier option and the eSIM is $90.10 less than AT&T.
Each day AT&T connects you to TelCell (TelEm) in Sint Maarten costs $12. Buy a 10GB eSIM plan at $29.90 and that same daily access drops to $2.14/day. Over 14 days, the difference is $90.10.
eSIM pricing for Sint Maarten: . AT&T's 14-day roaming bill is $120 regardless of data consumed. Every eSIM tier undercuts that figure.
Trip cost breakdown
What Sint Maarten costs across three common trip types
Three common trip types to Sint Maarten and what each costs on AT&T vs a TelCell (TelEm) eSIM:
Weekend city break (3 days, 2GB): AT&T $36 · eSIM $5.98 · saves $30.02 (83%) 2-week family vacation (14 days, 15GB): AT&T $120 · eSIM $44.85 · saves $75.15 (63%) 1-month digital nomad (30 days, 50GB): AT&T $120 · eSIM $149.50 · saves $-29.50 (-25%)
AT&T charges $12/day whether you use 50 MB or 5 GB that day. eSIM plans charge for a fixed data block purchased once. At no point in any of the three scenarios does carrier roaming cost less. Rates checked June 2026.
Airport options
What to buy at Sint Maarten airports for data
SIM counters at Sint Maarten airports close overnight. If you land after 10 PM or before 6 AM, the kiosk may not be open. A 5GB eSIM at $14.95 activates on local towers as soon as you disable airplane mode — it does not depend on airport operating hours.
Data planning
7-day Sint Maarten data budget breakdown
Social media browsing uses about 80 MB/hour. Two hours of Instagram or TikTok scrolling per day adds 160 MB. Stack that with maps and messaging and 1.5 GB per day is a fair estimate for Sint Maarten. Over 7 days you need 11GB.
At $14.95 for 7 days, the 5GB plan works out to $2.14/day. AT&T charges $12/day for the same network access on a local network. Both connect to the same towers. The billing model is different.
Connectivity
Sint Maarten hotel and cafe WiFi: what to expect
Good WiFi at hotels and restaurants throughout the island Cafe WiFi networks in Sint Maarten are open networks without encryption. They work for basic browsing, but avoid logging into banking or work apps on public networks. A travel eSIM on a local network provides a private connection for any sensitive app you use while out.
Plan your data
What travelers use for data in Sint Maarten
AT&T's International Day Pass in Sint Maarten bundles voice, SMS, and data into $12/day. Most travelers use messaging apps for calls and need only a data plan. A data-only 5GB eSIM on a local network costs $14.95 for 10 days — 88% less than AT&T's bundled rate.
Sint Maarten has two mobile operators: TelCell and Flow. When AT&T or Verizon customers roam here, their calls and data pass through these exact networks. A travel eSIM reaches TelCell or Flow directly at $2.99/GB — the service is identical; the roaming markup is not.
WiFi in Sint Maarten is available in hotels and cafes. An eSIM fills the gaps at $2.99/GB instead of AT&T's $12/day roaming charge. Local prices in Sint Maarten are in Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG) (ƒ), but eSIM plans are priced in USD, eliminating exchange rate uncertainty on your data costs.
Quick reference
Sint Maarten Travel Essentials
911
911 reaches police, fire, and ambulance in Sint Maarten. Save the number before you arrive — do not rely on memory in an emergency. 911 works from any phone, including a travel eSIM with no local number.
Type A/B
US plugs (Type A flat two-prong and Type B three-prong) fit Sint Maarten's outlets directly. No adapter is needed for phones, laptops, or standard US electronics. Voltage is 120V — compatible with dual-voltage US chargers.
AST (UTC-4)
Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG) (ƒ)
Cash in Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG) is preferred across most of Sint Maarten outside major hotels and tourist centers. Card terminals are not common in local markets or small restaurants. Withdraw enough cash at a reliable ATM before leaving the city — rural areas may not have ATM access.
Quick tip
WiFi availability in Sint Maarten is rated good. Enabling WiFi Calling on your phone before departure lets you receive calls and texts over hotel or cafe WiFi without triggering a carrier roaming day pass.
Good to know
Sint Maarten's WiFi availability is rated good. Relying on hotel WiFi alone means no connectivity during inter-island transfers or boat trips. An eSIM at $2.99/GB covers those gaps.
Step by step
How to add a Sint Maarten eSIM to your phone
- At the airport before departure: if Settings > Cellular shows an "Add eSIM" option, your phone is ready — buy and install a Sint Maarten plan in under 5 minutes on any airport WiFi
- Holafly sells Sint Maarten data by the gigabyte from $2.99 — buy it directly from their app or website. Compare all eSIM providers to find the best option for your trip.
- Open your phone's eSIM settings and scan the QR code — do this before your flight to Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) so it activates the moment you land
- Turn off Data Roaming (Settings > Cellular on iPhone, or Connections > Mobile Networks on Android) to stop carrier charges. Read the full how-to-turn-off-data-roaming guide for device-specific steps.
- On iPhone at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM): tap Settings > Cellular, select your Holafly eSIM line, and set it as the active data SIM — TelCell (TelEm)'s LTE signal appears in the status bar within 30 seconds
- On Samsung Galaxy: go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > WiFi Calling and enable it on your home SIM — calls route over the eSIM data connection in Sint Maarten
Data tips
Sint Maarten data management for budget travelers
Data usage by activity: social media 80 MB/hour, maps and navigation 50 MB/hour, WhatsApp voice calls 30 MB/hour, video calls 250 MB/hour, video streaming 1 GB/hour. Download Google Maps offline areas for Sint Maarten before departure. Set social media apps to load images on WiFi only to reduce cellular usage by 40-60%.
Regional context
Mobile data across Caribbean: Sint Maarten breakdown
A few things to know before turning off carrier roaming in Sint Maarten:
Island shared with French Saint-Martin — different carriers on each side
US dollar widely accepted
Famous for low-altitude plane landings at Maho Beach
Good WiFi at hotels and restaurants throughout the island Roaming passes charge $12/day to fill WiFi gaps. An eSIM covers the same connectivity at $2.99/GB.
Nearby
Related destinations
6 destinations near Sint Maarten are priced on the same rate card. AT&T bills $12 a day in every one of them, and the figure beside each flag is that destination's own per-gigabyte floor. The cheapest of the group is Aruba at $3.99 a gigabyte.
Forgot your eSIM?
Buying an eSIM after you land in Sint Maarten: what it costs
If you reach Sint Maarten without an eSIM, your first 30 minutes at the airport determine your data costs. Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM)'s arrivals area has free WiFi. Connect immediately — no queue, no counter. From there, HelloRoam, Holafly, Nomad, Airalo, and Saily all support post-arrival eSIM purchases. The process: download the app over WiFi, choose a Sint Maarten plan, scan the QR code, and activate. A 5GB plan on a local network costs $14.95, against $24 for two days on AT&T's International Day Pass. If airport WiFi drops mid-install, hotel lobby WiFi provides a stable fallback for finishing the process.
Savings math
How much you save in Sint Maarten
Solo traveler
Solo trip to Sint Maarten, 10 days. AT&T: 10 days × $12/day = $120. Verizon: 10 days × $12/day = $120. T-Mobile International Passes: 10-day pass = $50. eSIM 15GB on a local network: $44.85. The eSIM saves $75.15 vs AT&T, $75.15 vs Verizon, and $5.15 vs T-Mobile's paid tier.
Family trip
Families with mixed carriers, one parent on AT&T at $12/day, one on Verizon at $12/day and two children on T-Mobile at $10/day, face $44/day in combined roaming for Sint Maarten. Over 10 days: $340. Four eSIMs on a local network at $44.85 each: $179.40. Savings: $160.60. One purchase per person, no coordination between carriers.
AT&T roaming rate analysis
AT&T's roaming agreement for Sint Maarten routes your data through TelCell (TelEm). This is the same network a travel eSIM connects to. AT&T pays TelCell (TelEm) a wholesale rate and marks it up to $12/day at retail. eSIM providers use similar wholesale agreements and price at $2.99/GB. The markup is the product. AT&T's Day Pass sells network access that costs less through an eSIM. 10-day comparison: AT&T $120 vs eSIM $44.85 on identical TelCell (TelEm) 4G LTE infrastructure.
All-carrier summary
AT&T: AT&T International Day Pass costs 168% more than an eSIM for Sint Maarten.
Verizon: Verizon TravelPass costs 168% more than an eSIM for Sint Maarten.
T-Mobile: T-Mobile's International Passes cost 11% more than an eSIM for Sint Maarten.
Bottom line for Sint Maarten: the eSIM wins. $44.85 for 15GB on a local network vs $120 on AT&T for 10 days. Same towers, same speeds, 63% lower cost. No daily triggers, no per-MB billing, no bill surprises from background app syncs.
Quick answers
Common questions about Sint Maarten data costs
Is eSIM cheaper than roaming in Sint Maarten?
A 15GB eSIM for Sint Maarten runs $44.85 on a local 4G LTE network. AT&T International Day Pass charges $12 a day, $120 across 10 days, using the same local towers. Switching from carrier roaming to eSIM saves $75.15 per device. Rates checked June 2026.
How much does roaming cost in Sint Maarten?
US carriers charge $12/day for Sint Maarten roaming. UK carriers charge approximately GBP6/day. A 10-day trip costs $120 on AT&T or Verizon. A travel eSIM on a local network costs $44.85 for 15GB. Rates checked June 2026.
Does T-Mobile work in Sint Maarten?
T-Mobile works in Sint Maarten on its included allowance: Experience More plan includes 5GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15GB, then data runs at up to 256Kbps. Essentials includes texting but no data. For 10 days of high-speed data, the cheapest pass mix is $50 (10-day pass). A TelCell (TelEm) eSIM delivers full 4G LTE speed for $44.85. Rates checked June 2026.
AT&T fine print for Sint Maarten
$12 covers 24 hours from the first time your phone uses a foreign network, and a single background push notification at 2 AM can start it. AT&T bills at most 10 daily fees per line each bill cycle (terms read 31 Oct 2026).
iCloud Photos, email push, app updates all trigger the daily charge. A phone left in a bag with data roaming on starts a new $12 fee each time a sync lands after the last 24 hours ran out.
Sint Maarten FAQ
Sint Maarten eSIM & roaming questions
Sint Maarten carrier roaming costs $12 a day on AT&T and on Verizon
T-Mobile's Experience plans include 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data in Sint Maarten, then at a reduced speed, and Essentials includes texting only. AT&T costs $12/day and Verizon costs $12/day for full speed. Five eSIM providers undercut all three on a local 4G LTE network from $2.99/GB. HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, runs 24/7 live chat, WhatsApp and email, and its support replies in your own language. Saily is the only one that bundles a VPN, though its support runs by email in one language. Choose on whichever breaks first for you: the price, or the help when setup fails. Rates checked June 2026.
T-Mobile's included data in Sint Maarten runs at high speed until the allowance ends
Only until the allowance runs out. T-Mobile's Experience More plan includes 5GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15GB, then data runs at up to 256Kbps. Essentials includes texting but no data. At 256Kbps text messaging works and maps slow down. T-Mobile's 1 Day International Pass costs $10 for 2GB, and its 10-day pass $50 for 15GB. Five eSIM providers deliver full 4G LTE on a local network instead, from $2.99/GB. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
Sint Maarten roaming bills by the day, not by the gigabyte
Your carrier uses one of two models. Per-day billing: AT&T charges $12 and Verizon charges $12 for each 24 hours from the first time your phone connects in Sint Maarten, even if you only checked one notification. Per-MB billing: without the $12/day pass, AT&T charges $2.05 per megabyte, which reaches $2,099 per gigabyte. Both models charge for background data you never asked for. The eSIM market runs on two different models: a fixed bucket you pay for upfront at $2.99/GB, or an unlimited plan, where HelloRoam's 7-day median is $21.50 against $27.50 on Holafly. Neither meters megabytes. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
Support reach differs across the five Sint Maarten eSIM providers
The five differ more here than they do on price. HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, runs 24/7 live chat, WhatsApp and email, and its support replies in your own language; it publishes no language count, so we state none. Holafly runs 24/7 chat in 10 languages. Airalo answers by email and in-app chat in 12 languages. Nomad is email only in 2 languages. Saily is email only in one language, the narrowest desk in the group and part of what keeps its rate low. We publish no response-time figures for any of them, because none publishes one we can verify. Credit where it is due: AT&T and Verizon put a phone line and a retail store behind the $12/day pass, which counts for something at 2 AM in Sint Maarten. Rates checked June 2026.
One gigabyte of Sint Maarten roaming costs $2,099 without a pass
On AT&T without a plan, one gigabyte costs $2,099: 1,024 megabytes at $2.05 each. With AT&T International Day Pass the rate is $12/day, which draws on your home plan's allowance but charges the day fee whether you use 10 MB or 10 GB. On a travel eSIM, one gigabyte on a local 4G LTE network costs $2.99. On the median 5 GB plan the four fixed-data sellers run from $2.01/GB on HelloRoam to $2.60/GB on Saily. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
US carrier roaming in Sint Maarten runs $10 to $12 a day
AT&T charges $12/day in Sint Maarten on International Day Pass. Verizon charges $12/day on TravelPass. T-Mobile includes Sint Maarten at a reduced speed, or $10/day on the International Pass. A 7-day trip: AT&T $84 at $12/day, Verizon $84, T-Mobile $50. A travel eSIM on TelCell (TelEm) at $2.99/GB costs roughly $31.40 for the same week. Rates checked June 2026.
A cruise leaving Sint Maarten prices data differently from land travel
On land in Sint Maarten, both options connect through local 4G LTE towers with no meaningful difference. On a cruise ship, neither carrier roaming nor a travel eSIM applies — ships use maritime satellite networks billed separately by the cruise line at $15-30/day. Buy the cruise WiFi package for onboard connectivity. Use the eSIM or carrier roaming only when the ship is docked and you are on shore.
A Caribbean regional plan against single-country Sint Maarten coverage
Your itinerary settles it. For Sint Maarten alone, a country-specific eSIM at $2.99/GB is the right buy. For several islands, a regional Caribbean plan holding all the stops in one data bucket usually costs less than separate eSIMs. Check the coverage list first, because the five providers draw the region differently: Airalo and Holafly each cover 200+ destinations to HelloRoam's 185, so HelloRoam, with the lowest median 5 GB rate at $2.01/GB, lists fewer destinations than those two. AT&T and Verizon charge $12/day per country, so four islands at two days each bills $96. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
T-Mobile's free tier in Sint Maarten sits below what maps and video need
T-Mobile's free international tier in Sint Maarten is capped far below a usable speed. That speed supports plain text messages and basic email without attachments. It does not support Google Maps navigation, WhatsApp photo sending, or ride-hailing apps. T-Mobile's International Pass runs $10/day, under AT&T and Verizon at $12/day. A travel eSIM on TelCell (TelEm) at $2.99/GB delivers full 4G LTE with no speed cap.
A week of Sint Maarten carrier roaming costs $84
AT&T: $84/week (International Day Pass at $12/day). Verizon: $84/week (TravelPass). T-Mobile: 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data included on its Experience plans, then up to 256Kbps, or $50 for a week of passes (10-day pass). The cheapest eSIM for Sint Maarten starts at $2.99/GB on a local 4G LTE network — better per-GB value than all three carriers.
Fact check
What is wrong about how people think about Sint Maarten roaming
eSIM drains more battery than a physical SIM
An eSIM is a programmable chip embedded in your phone's hardware — the same radio module that handles physical SIM cards. It draws no additional power beyond what a physical SIM uses. Battery drain in Sint Maarten is driven by signal strength and data activity, not by SIM format. Weak signal forces your radio to search harder — that is the actual drain variable regardless of SIM type.
A VPN eliminates roaming costs
A VPN changes the routing of your data packets — it does not change which cellular network your phone connects to. In Sint Maarten, your phone attaches to local towers whether or not a VPN is active. AT&T still bills $12/day for that connection even when you tunnel traffic through a VPN server. A VPN also adds 10–20% overhead to your total data consumption on top of the carrier charge.
eSIMs use different, slower networks
A travel eSIM in Sint Maarten connects to the same local towers as AT&T and Verizon roaming. The radio frequency bands, signal strength, and 4G LTE speed are identical. AT&T's roaming agreement with TelCell (TelEm) and a travel eSIM provider's agreement with TelCell (TelEm) both access the same physical infrastructure. No speed penalty exists for switching from roaming to eSIM.
Our recommendation
Sint Maarten trip connectivity: the cost outcome
The numbers point to Airalo for Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten is a thin eSIM market and we could not price a plan tier here. Airalo and Holafly each list 200+ destinations, the highest count this site prints, so it is among the likeliest of the five to stock Sint Maarten on a local network. Holafly is the alternative, at 200+ destinations with a 180-day refund window if the plan turns out not to cover you.
Learn more
Travel guides, Sint Maarten
4 guides carry the parts of a Sint Maarten trip this page does not price: installing the profile before departure, switching data roaming off on the home SIM, and what happens to the allowance once a fair-use policy applies. Each one reads the same rate card as this page, where AT&T bills $12 a day.
Compare Sint Maarten eSIM rates against carrier roaming rates
Sint Maarten eSIM data sells by the gigabyte from $2.99, against the $84 your carrier bills for a week of roaming.
Get a Sint Maarten eSIM