MiaRoss (Student)
just got my acceptance to SGU and starting to build a real budget. tuition i have a handle on but living costs feels like a black hole, every estimate online is either old or super vague. how much should i realistically budget per month for rent, food, transport and just day to day stuff in grenada? Any island specific tips welcome
Hailey (Student)
Grenada is more expensive than people expect. almost everything is imported. honest monthly breakdown:
rent: 700 to 1100 shared, 1200 to 1600 solo
groceries: 300 to 450 cooking most meals
eating out: 100 to 200 if moderate
transport: 60 to 100 buses and occasional taxi
utilities electric water internet: 150 to 250
personal misc: 100 to 150
realistically 1400 to 2250 a month depending on lifestyle. budget 1800 to be safe. the electricity bill will genuinely shock you, AC in a tropical climate is brutal on your wallet
Rileyyy (Student)
@Rileyyy (Student) in barbados here. bridgetown is noticeably more expensive than grenada. i budget around 2000 to 2500 a month for everything
groceries are the biggest shock. imported stuff like cereal or peanut butter can cost 2 to 3 times what you pay at home. trick is buying local produce and fish at the market. way cheaper and honestly better quality
LeahCole (Student)
Rileyyy (Student) quick question, does the fixed exchange rate in barbados make budgeting easier at least?
Rileyyy (Student)
yeah 2 barbadian dollars equals 1 USD, never fluctuates. super easy to convert in your head. prices are just high in absolute terms regardless of which currency youre counting in
AmeliaReed (Student)
AUC on sint maarten. dutch side is better for daily shopping, french side has better restaurants and markets. my monthly costs run about 1500 to 1900
one thing nobody warns you about: sint maarten infrastructure is still recovering from hurricane irma 2017. water and internet can still be inconsistent depending on where you live. factor that into your housing decision not just price
Ethan89 (Alumni)
Saba is completely different. tiny island, basically one grocery store, one pharmacy, handful of restaurants. Rent is lower around 500 to 750 shared but you pay in selection. you will get tired of the same grocery rotation fast
most students do a big haul in st maarten every few weeks. Budget an extra 50 to 100 a month for those trips. Total monthly living around 1200 to 1600
MiaRoss (Student)
Ethan89 (Alumni) honestly that sounds kind of peaceful for studying. or does it get claustrophobic?
Ethan89 (Alumni)
haha for an introvert med student its actually great in semesters 1 and 2. the lack of distractions is real. by semester 4 some people go a bit stir crazy though. Very tight knit community which is either amazing or suffocating depending on who you are. the hiking and nature are genuinely beautiful when you need a reset
Victoria88 (Aspiring student)
habits that cut my costs the most at SGU:
cook with 2 or 3 roommates and split grocery costs. dropped my food bill from 400 to around 180 a month
avoid AC at night if you can handle fans. electric bill will be half
buy produce at the local market in st georges not at the supermarket
skip the bar scene except once a month
carpool taxis with classmates going the same direction
doing all this i live on about 1100 to 1300 a month in grenada
AaronButlerr (Aspiring student)
Victoria88 (Aspiring student) tried this. studying for usmle content in 85 degree humidity with no AC is a different kind of suffering. i genuinely think it hurt my concentration and sleep. some costs are worth it. know yourself
BrandonLane (Aspiring student)
AUA in antigua here. I budget about 1600 to 1900 a month all in. one thing specific to antigua: on campus housing through AUA is actually pretty convenient and not outrageously priced once you factor in utilities being included. walking to the library at midnight during exam season beats negotiating a taxi
Zachary (Alumni)
something nobody mentions: emergency fund
caribbean islands get hurricanes, water outages, power cuts that fry appliances. in 2 years on grenada i replaced a laptop after a power surge, paid 4 days hotel during apartment flood damage, and covered an emergency flight home for a family situation. none of that was in my monthly budget
keep 2000 to 3000 in a separate emergency fund you never touch for routine expenses
Jason00 (Student)
Zachary (Alumni) adding to this. travel insurance for the year especially during hurricane season june to november. about 150 to 300 a year and covers evacuation costs if a major storm hits. totally worth it for peace of mind
LilyPatterson (Student)
quick island by island cost of living summary based on this thread:
barbados (Ross): 2000 to 2500 per month
grenada (SGU): 1500 to 2000
antigua (AUA): 1500 to 1900
sint maarten (AUC): 1400 to 1900
saba: 1200 to 1600
the gap between highest and lowest is roughly 800 to 1000 a month. over 2 years of basic sciences thats 20k to 24k. not nothing when youre already borrowing 200k plus
MiaRoss (Student)
This thread was honestly super helpful. I am going to keep this saved while I finish planning my budget spreadsheet.
For anyone else researching Caribbean medical schools, my main takeaway is that living costs can vary a lot depending on the island. From what people shared here, monthly expenses can be around $1,200 in places like Saba and up to $2,500 in Barbados, depending on lifestyle.
A few things I’m definitely keeping in mind:
Electricity and AC costs can add up fast
Cooking with roommates and buying local produce can save a lot
On-campus housing may be worth it during exam-heavy months
Keeping a separate $2,000–$3,000 emergency fund is smart
Travel insurance is important, especially during hurricane season
The island you choose can make a $20k+ difference during basic sciences alone
Thanks so much to everyone who shared advice. This community has been one of the most useful resources I’ve found for preparing for Caribbean medical school.
BenjaminWard (Student)
something i dont see in any budget breakdown: cost of flying home
grenada is not a major hub. flights are usually two connections and run 600 to 1000 return depending on timing. over two basic science years thats potentially 2000 to 4000 just in flights. budget it explicitly
MiaRoss (Student)
BenjaminWard (Student) i hadnt even thought about that. any tips on getting cheaper flights?
BenjaminWard (Student)
MiaRoss (Student) book way in advance. i book the december flight in september and the may flight in february. the savings are real and hunting for last minute seats during finals week is stress you do not want
Charlotte14 (Student)
jumping in on saba housing. housing here is almost entirely word of mouth. there is no zillow for saba. apartments get passed between students when someone finishes a semester and leaves
the official way is to contact the school housing office before you arrive. the unofficial way, reaching out to current students on the saba facebook group and asking who is about to vacate, is actually more effective. join the incoming student facebook group the second you get accepted
