Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $2,353 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jump to prices

Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,353

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aruba and in Sint Nicolaas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in Aruba versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas.

Aruba $2,353
Sint Nicolaas $136

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Aruba versus $332 in Sint Nicolaas.

Aruba $4,233
Sint Nicolaas $332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,112 in Aruba versus $527 in Sint Nicolaas.

Aruba $6,112
Sint Nicolaas $527

Living in Aruba is roughly 1634% more expensive than in Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aruba is 73% above, Sint Nicolaas is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 AWG 26.58

$16.40 AWG 29.34

-9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 AWG 161

$45.10 AWG 80.7

99.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 AWG 18.86

Cappuccino

$5.12 AWG 9.15

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

$2.42 AWG 4.34

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 AWG 4.06

$1.14 AWG 2.03

99.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 AWG 9.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 AWG 12.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 AWG 2.97

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 AWG 5.10

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

Eggs

$3.75 AWG 6.71

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 AWG 25.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 AWG 7.43

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 AWG 4.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 AWG 4.27

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

$233 AWG 417

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

$132 AWG 236

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 AWG 152

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

$296 AWG 529

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K AWG 32.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 AWG 115

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 AWG 212

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 AWG 1,169

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 AWG 2,489

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,255 AWG 5,825

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,978 AWG 7,118

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,938 AWG 3,467

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

Last update for Aruba: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $90 in Aruba vs $45 in Sint Nicolaas for two.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Aruba

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Aruba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

18,000

💱 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 Sint Nicolaas 12 km

From you

Aruba
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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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,353 in Aruba and $136 in Sint Nicolaas, so Sint Nicolaas is about 94% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,529 in Aruba and $204 in Sint Nicolaas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas – a meal for two runs $45 versus $90 in Aruba. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,353 per month in Aruba versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas – Sint Nicolaas is about 94% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $136 in Sint Nicolaas versus $2,353 in Aruba, a $800 budget is realistic in Sint Nicolaas but tight or insufficient in Aruba. The gap between the two cities makes Sint Nicolaas 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.

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