The best advice we can give you is to not under-estimate the cost of living in Anguilla. While a select few students find housing in their budget, most will pay more. Here is an estimated range of what you will actually pay. Again, please plan for the higher part of the range so that you have enough money to pay your bills.
Monthly Rent
1 bedroom: $600-1200/month
2 bedroom: $1000-1500/month
Electric Bill $100-300
This bill can be a surprise to you. Central AC is not a luxury we have here in Anguilla. We live off of AC units; however, the current here is so expensive so leaving your AC on only when you are sleeping can still produce an electric bill in the range mentioned above.
Water
Water on the island is NOT SAFE to drink. Showering, dishes, etc. is fine. Most houses are are cisterns so you will not have a water bill. Some houses are on government water which can range depending on the size of your water tank and how often you use water. This is not a cost I would worry about since most students have water included in their monthly rent. If it is not included, you can usually negotiate which your landlord PRIOR to signing the lease to include it in your rent price.
Internet/Cable $60-100/month
This is included for most students, and if it is not, I would negotiate it with your landlord PRIOR to signing the lease.
Groceries $350-600/month
Grocery shopping in Anguilla is like shopping at a grocery store downtown in a city – very expensive. One factor to note is that ALL prices are in $EC at the grocery store. This means you need to divide the cost presented by $2.68 to know what the cost is in US dollar. This is my biggest expense. Please see the grocery store tab for more information about best places to go, and tips/tricks at the grocery stores here in Anguilla.
Last bit of advice:
Before I arrived on the island, I really thought I would be able to be “smart” and be on the lower end, but like I mentioned above, it is hard to fall into this category.
Saint James School of Medicine 