Cost of Supplies
Hi everyone! Moving to a new place like St. Maarten and deciding what to pack from home can be a headache, especially if you are not sure whether you should buy something on the island when you get here or bring it from home. Luckily in St. Maarten, you can pretty much find most things you need. For those of you who are about to move down to the island, fellow AUC med student (and orientation advisor) Brittany Mott has graciously looked up and provided the price of various supplies from Cost-U-Less and ACE Hardware. Here I have posted her guide below. Hopefully this post will give many of you all a better idea of what to expect. Thanks Brittany for this information!

Cost-U-Less
Similar to: Wal-Mart
Best Deals: Bathroom supplies, laundry stuff, kitchenware, feminine products, random things, food in bulk, school supplies, plastic kitchen things
Dining:
- 200 plastic cups: $15
- 100 paper plates: $5
- 15 standard tupperwear containers: $8
- 36 piece tupperwear set: $17
- 300 plastic spoons: $7
- 300 plastic forks: $7
- 36 real forks: $13
- 36 real spoons: $11
- Cookware Set: $60-$70 ***AUC STUDENT FAVORITE***
Laundry Essentials:
- Laundry detergent: $20
- Fabric softner: $15
- 120 Dryer Sheets: $8
- Febreeze: $5
Random:
- Twin Air Mattress: $43
- Queen Air Mattress: $57
- Beach Chairs: $25-$60
- Bug Spray: $7
- Raid: $8
- Standard Folding Table: $50
- Ironing Board: $38
- Queen Sheets: $23-$35
- Twin Sheets: $28-$35
- 3 pack of plain white towels: $22
- 3 pack of plain white hand towels: $14
- Sponges 4 pack: $5
- Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit: $10
- Swiffer Sweeper Refills 32 pack: $9
- Energizer AAA – 4 for $5
- Store Brand AAA – 24 for $12
- Duracel AAA – 20 for $12
- Energizer AA – 4 for $5
- Store Brand AA – 24 for $12
School Supplies:
- Giant Dry Erase Board: $23 ***AUC STUDENT FAVORITE***
- Expo Markers Combo Pack 16 markers: $16 ***AUC STUDENT FAVORITE***
- 15 Multicolored G2 pens: $17
- 15 Blue, Black, Red G2 pens: $17
- Cannon Pixma Inkjet ip2702: $45
- Roll of Tape: $2
- Notebooks: $2
- Computer Paper: $10
Bathroom Items:
- Big box of Q-Tips: $9
- TreSemme Shampoo 32 ounce: $6
- TreSemme Conditionor 32 ounce: $6
- Big bottle of Olay lotion: $13
- Body Wash: $6-$9
- Axe Deodorant 2 pack: $10
- St. Ives face wash: $4
- Secret/Lady Speed Stick/Dove Deodorant 2 pack: $5-$7
- Bathroom spray: $2
- Toiler Paper 12 rolls: $10
- Toothbrush 4 Pack: $6
- Toothpaste: $3-$5
- Listerine: $9
Feminine Products:
- 120 Care-Free pads: $7
- Kotex 135 count: $6
- 40 count multipack Tampax: $8
- 36 count Pearl Tampax: $10
- 48 count Maxi Pads: $8
- 28 ultra thin pads: $9
***Tampons boxes other than “regular” are harder to find***

ACE Hardware Store
Similar to: Lowe’s / Bed,Bath & Beyond
Best Deals: Bedroom things, kitchen machinery, apartment decorations, things for your car, cleaning supplies, fix-it-up things, real kitchen things, greater & cheaper selection of cleaning materials (Clorox, wipes, etc.)
Bedroom:
- Queen Mattress Pad: $125 ***AUC STUDENT FAVORITE***
- Full Mattress Pad: $50
- Queen Egg Crate Mattress Pad: $125
- Twin Egg Crate Mattress Pad: $25
- Big Pillow: $25
- Regular Pillow: $10-$15
- King Sheets: $40-$60
- Queen Sheets: $35-$40
- Full Sheets: $25-$35
- Twin Sheets: $12-$15
- King Comforter: $180-$200
- Queen Comforter: $120
- Twin/Full Comforter: $80
Kitchen Machinery:
- Coffee Maker: $35-$60
- Toaster: $20
- Blender: $37-$80
- Can Opener: $16
- Knives: $6-$50
- Disk Rack: $12-$15
- Pasta Strainer: $12-$15
- Real Plates: $7-$10
- Real Cups: $6-$12
- Baking Pan: $10
- Toaster Oven: $70
Random:
- ZipLock Baggies: $5
- Plastic Laundry Basket: $20
- Shower Curtain: $5-$15
- Shower Curtain Hooks Pack: $3
- Bathroom Shower Mat: $15
- Bathroom Rugs: $27
- Trash Bin: $10-$40
- Hand Towels: $7
- Towels: $15
- Welcome Door Mat: $16
- Small Beach Cooler: $25
- Lunch Pail: $11
- Lawn Chair: $40
- Broom: $6-$13
- Toilet Brush: $6
Things to bring from home
- Starter Medicine Kit: Ibuprofin, Aspirin, Niquil, DayQuil, bandaids, birth control, any regular medications you take, etc. “Drug Stores” don’t exist here. You have to buy all of this at the pharmacy, which is not open on Sundays, and the hours open are during class. Better to be safe than sorry.
- Starter Bathroom Kit: small shampoo, box of tampons/pads, loofa, toothbrush, toothpaste, one role of toiler paper, shower curtains, shower curtain hooks, and towel just in case your plane arrives at night when everything is closed
- Starter Bedroom Kit: surge protector, sheets (they are more expensive here), a nicer pillow (no memory foam here)
- Kitchen Starter Kit: any favorite spices, they are very expensive here and limited
- Starter School Supplies: nicer folders, special pens, post-its, tabs, etc. bring from home if you are picky about your school supplies!!
For cost of groceries, please check out this post: How Much Do Things Cost in SXM?
Hi Benji!
What would a student use a giant white erase board for?
Some students may like getting a white board to draw diagrams and stuff for studying purposes. Personally, though, I don’t think it’s really that necessary since all the study rooms on campus have white boards you can use for free. Plus you could always just draw on paper, or buy a small portable dry erase board. Different people have different study methods, and to some, getting a white dry erase board helps.
Benji
hi Benji,
i was wondering. how do you move all your stuff from on-campus dorms to off-campus housing after the allotted time allowed on-campus is over? could i have my mom and dad fill their suitcase up with stuff i’d need? but then how would i move it all by myself to an apartment elsewhere?
thanks in advance.
Hi Komal,
You move your belongings just like how you would move your belongings anywhere else in the world. I just rented a car, loaded it up with my stuff, and transported them to my new location. If you can’t do it by yourself, get a friend to help you.
Benji
HI Benji – thanks for these details. Could you let me know how much your medical costs during your time in medical school and where you bought them while there? Thanks, David
Right here: http://www.caribbeanmedstudent.com/2011/07/icm-physical-examination-equipment/