Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Oranjestad

For one person, living costs are similar in Aruba and in Oranjestad: $2,353 and $2,346 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index

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Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,353

/mo nomad

Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aruba and in Oranjestad

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 Oranjestad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in Aruba versus $2,346 in Oranjestad.

Aruba $2,353
Oranjestad $2,346

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Aruba versus $4,175 in Oranjestad.

Aruba $4,233
Oranjestad $4,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,112 in Aruba versus $6,004 in Oranjestad.

Aruba $6,112
Oranjestad $6,004

Monthly costs are close between Aruba and Oranjestad; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aruba 73% above, Oranjestad 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 AWG 26.58

$22.02 AWG 39.40

-32.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 AWG 161

$79.3 AWG 142

13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 AWG 18.86

$10.15 AWG 18.17

3.84%

Cappuccino

$5.12 AWG 9.15

$4.33 AWG 7.74

18.24%

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

$2.42 AWG 4.34

$1.48 AWG 2.65

63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 AWG 4.06

$1.67 AWG 2.99

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 AWG 9.48

$2.97 AWG 5.32

78.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 AWG 12.87

$3.91 AWG 6.99

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 AWG 2.97

$1.92 AWG 3.43

-13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 AWG 5.10

$2.89 AWG 5.17

-1.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

$2.83 AWG 5.06

6.01%

Eggs

$3.75 AWG 6.71

$5.36 AWG 9.59

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 AWG 25.53

$12.53 AWG 22.42

13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 AWG 7.43

$9.17 AWG 16.41

-54.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 AWG 22.12

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 AWG 8.47

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

$2.30 AWG 4.12

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 AWG 9.14

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 AWG 6.37

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 AWG 3.87

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 AWG 3.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 AWG 4.63

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 AWG 18.19

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 AWG 18.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 AWG 7.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 AWG 7.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 AWG 4.53

$2.14 AWG 3.83

18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 AWG 54.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 AWG 30.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.90 AWG 6.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 AWG 44.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 AWG 4.27

$2.05 AWG 3.67

16.10%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

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

$34.9K AWG 62.5K

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

$233 AWG 417

$256 AWG 458

-8.93%

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

$132 AWG 236

$48.94 AWG 87.6

169.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 AWG 152

$107 AWG 191

-20.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 AWG 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 AWG 46.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 AWG 21.02

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

$296 AWG 529

$252 AWG 451

17.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K AWG 32.4K

$8,767 AWG 15.7K

106.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AWG 105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 AWG 115

$51.4 AWG 92.0

25.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 AWG 212

$107 AWG 191

10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AWG 188

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 AWG 1,169

$932 AWG 1,668

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 AWG 2,489

$967 AWG 1,731

43.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,255 AWG 5,825

$2,676 AWG 4,790

21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,978 AWG 7,118

$3,022 AWG 5,408

31.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 AWG 4,087

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 AWG 3,059

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,938 AWG 3,467

$1,690 AWG 3,024

14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

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

Last update for Aruba: October 27, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$967 41.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$412 17.5%

Groceries & Markets

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$366 15.6%

Eating Out

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$294 12.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$145 6.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$87 3.7%

Getting Around

Aruba

–

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Aruba and $932 in Oranjestad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aruba pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Aruba vs $79 in Oranjestad. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $366, with Aruba cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Aruba

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

Same time as Aruba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

35,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Aruba Oranjestad 6 km

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Aruba
Oranjestad

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 Oranjestad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 15% higher in Aruba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $653 in Aruba versus $932 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Aruba versus $252 in Oranjestad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aruba pay roughly 60% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Oranjestad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Aruba and Oranjestad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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