On the French side of the island, the euro ( ¬ ) is the local currency; some, but certainly not all, establishments will quote or accept US dollars. Euro notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 euros. At the time of writing, the rate of exchange was US$1 to ¬1.10. On the Dutch side, the currency is the Netherlands Antilles guilder (NAf) (with a rate of exchange of US$1 to NAf1.78), though prices are always quoted in US dollars. For consistency, all prices in this section are quoted in US dollars.

There are plenty of banks on both sides of the island with 24-hour cashpoint facilities in the main towns.

Most hotels and restaurants on the Dutch side add 15 percent service charge and 5 percent government tax . On the French side, they add 10-15 percent for service and a 5 percent occupancy tax .

Given the scale of tourist development, it's pretty easy to get by on whatever budget you're on. Accommodation will be your main expenditure, but there are moderately priced places to stay in on both sides of the border. The French side in particular has some top-class and top-priced places to eat, but both sides have plenty of good, inexpensive options.