Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,079 in Aruba versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,759 in Aruba versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,438 in Aruba versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Aruba is roughly 52% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Aruba 19% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 AWG 28.29

$2.77 ¥18.72

469.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 AWG 164

$24.05 ¥162

281.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 AWG 18.16

$4.73 ¥31.93

114.16%

Cappuccino

$4.31 AWG 7.72

$3.08 ¥20.78

39.94%

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

$1.81 AWG 3.24

$0.44 ¥3.00

311.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 AWG 3.17

$0.29 ¥1.98

510.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 AWG 6.44

$1.01 ¥6.80

255.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 AWG 9.45

$2.08 ¥14.03

153.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 AWG 3.32

$1.83 ¥12.39

1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 AWG 5.39

$1.62 ¥10.94

85.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 AWG 6.87

$0.97 ¥6.58

294.85%

Eggs

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$1.61 ¥10.90

204.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.84 AWG 39.16

$13.34 ¥90.1

63.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 AWG 13.26

$3.37 ¥22.75

119.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 AWG 23.54

$10.68 ¥72.2

22.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 AWG 9.02

$1.81 ¥12.26

177.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 AWG 5.70

$1.25 ¥8.44

154.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.97 AWG 12.49

$1.46 ¥9.88

377.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 AWG 11.55

$1.15 ¥7.73

460.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 AWG 6.97

$0.73 ¥4.92

432.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 AWG 4.65

$0.89 ¥5.99

191.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.13 AWG 7.40

$0.60 ¥4.05

588.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 AWG 5.46

$0.53 ¥3.59

473.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 AWG 18.47

$3.39 ¥22.93

204.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 AWG 17.76

$11.73 ¥79.3

-15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 AWG 6.12

$0.77 ¥5.23

344.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 AWG 8.62

$1.63 ¥10.98

195.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 AWG 5.26

$0.41 ¥2.77

614.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 AWG 164

$21.24 ¥143

331.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 AWG 35.27

$1.35 ¥9.13

1357.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$0.36 ¥2.40

1263.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 AWG 44.03

$6.70 ¥45.26

266.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 AWG 2.63

$1.18 ¥7.98

24.58%

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

$25.6K AWG 45.9K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

29.55%

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

$35.6K AWG 63.8K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

115.33%

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

$222 AWG 398

$51.7 ¥349

329.13%

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

$86.1 AWG 154

$10.09 ¥68.2

753.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.3 AWG 169

$11.38 ¥76.9

728.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.6 AWG 137

$39.24 ¥265

95.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 AWG 70.3

$14.84 ¥100

164.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 AWG 17.71

$6.30 ¥42.56

56.83%

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

$229 AWG 410

$414 ¥2,795

-44.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K AWG 20.6K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-34.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 AWG 112

$46.77 ¥316

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.2 AWG 138

$33.08 ¥223

133.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 AWG 230

$70.9 ¥479

80.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 AWG 221

$74.5 ¥503

65.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 AWG 1,427

$440 ¥2,972

80.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 AWG 1,043

$253 ¥1,707

130.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 AWG 2,836

$911 ¥6,153

73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 AWG 2,638

$531 ¥3,584

177.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,292 AWG 4,109

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-52.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,743 AWG 3,124

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-27.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,467 AWG 4,422

$1,058 ¥7,144

133.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.06

60.10%

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

Last update for Aruba: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $540 in Aruba, $287 in China. Capital cities: $669 in Oranjestad vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,436 in Aruba, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 88% higher in Aruba.

Dining out costs 67% more in Aruba.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 184% higher in Aruba, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Aruba.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,416 per month in Aruba and $873 in China, there's a 62% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Aruba is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Aruba it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Aruba may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.