Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Fort Lauderdale, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Aruba: $2,353 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index

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Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,353

/mo nomad

Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aruba and in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aruba and in Fort Lauderdale, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in Aruba versus $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Aruba $2,353
Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Aruba versus $5,025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Aruba $4,233
Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,112 in Aruba versus $6,636 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Aruba $6,112
Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636

Living in Aruba costs roughly 31% less than in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aruba 73% above, Fort Lauderdale, FL 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 AWG 26.59

$29.40 $29.40

-49.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 AWG 161

$99.7 $99.7

-9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 AWG 18.86

$14.55 $14.55

-27.56%

Cappuccino

$5.12 AWG 9.16

$5.10 $5.10

0.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 AWG 4.34

$2.99 $2.99

-19.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 AWG 4.06

$2.17 $2.17

4.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 AWG 9.48

$6.13 $6.13

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 AWG 12.87

$6.93 $6.93

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 AWG 2.97

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 AWG 5.10

$5.03 $5.03

-43.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

$3.75 $3.75

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.75 AWG 6.71

$4.90 $4.90

-23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 AWG 25.53

$17.22 $17.22

-17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 AWG 7.44

$10.33 $10.33

-59.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 $26.42

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

$1.95 $1.95

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 AWG 4.53

$2.05 $2.05

23.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 AWG 4.27

$1.02 $1.02

133.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K $28.3K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K $26.6K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$233 AWG 417

$212 $212

10.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$132 AWG 236

$64.8 $64.8

103.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 AWG 152

$80.7 $80.7

5.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.34 $14.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$296 AWG 529

$1,026 $1,026

-71.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K AWG 32.4K

$41.2K $41.2K

-56.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 AWG 115

$41.77 $41.77

54.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 AWG 212

$87.5 $87.5

35.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 AWG 1,169

$2,687 $2,687

-75.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 AWG 2,490

$1,893 $1,893

-26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,255 AWG 5,826

$4,985 $4,985

-34.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,978 AWG 7,119

$3,168 $3,168

25.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,795 $5,795

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,254 $4,254

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,938 AWG 3,468

$4,757 $4,757

-59.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aruba: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5%

Groceries & Markets

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4%

Eating Out

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9%

Getting Around

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Aruba

–

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Aruba and $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lauderdale, FL pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Aruba vs $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $456 per month, with Aruba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Aruba

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

Same time as Aruba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

165,521

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.502 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 AWG (1 AWG = 0.502 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aruba Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aruba
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aruba vs Fort Lauderdale, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aruba and Fort Lauderdale, FL differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,353 vs $3,414 including rent). Aruba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Aruba. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $653 in Aruba versus $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 208% higher in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,353 per month in Aruba versus $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,353 in Aruba versus $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Aruba but tight or insufficient in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Aruba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Aruba wins on affordability, Fort Lauderdale, FL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.