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: $1,081 in Aruba versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,769 in Aruba versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Aruba versus $1,550 in China.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.96 AWG 28.57

$2.75 ¥18.83

480.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 AWG 158

$24.03 ¥165

267.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 AWG 17.74

$4.96 ¥33.95

99.80%

Cappuccino

$4.24 AWG 7.59

$3.12 ¥21.37

35.90%

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

$1.86 AWG 3.33

$0.48 ¥3.26

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 AWG 3.05

$0.27 ¥1.84

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 AWG 6.37

$0.98 ¥6.73

263.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 AWG 9.00

$2.15 ¥14.69

133.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AWG 3.33

$1.83 ¥12.53

1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 AWG 5.45

$1.68 ¥11.54

81.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 AWG 6.91

$0.91 ¥6.21

324.18%

Eggs

$4.86 AWG 8.70

$1.56 ¥10.66

211.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.49 AWG 40.26

$12.97 ¥88.9

73.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 AWG 13.06

$3.25 ¥22.23

124.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 AWG 24.02

$10.51 ¥72.0

27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 AWG 9.07

$1.81 ¥12.41

180.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 AWG 5.64

$1.30 ¥8.90

142.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.03 AWG 12.59

$1.50 ¥10.26

368.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.64 AWG 11.88

$1.15 ¥7.87

477.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 AWG 7.21

$0.76 ¥5.20

430.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 AWG 4.49

$0.89 ¥6.07

182.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.98 AWG 7.12

$0.58 ¥3.97

586.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 AWG 5.42

$0.58 ¥3.95

422.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 AWG 18.45

$3.50 ¥23.95

194.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 AWG 18.07

$11.55 ¥79.1

-12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 AWG 6.29

$0.78 ¥5.31

351.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 AWG 8.23

$1.61 ¥11.03

185.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 AWG 5.23

$0.44 ¥3.01

563.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 AWG 163

$21.15 ¥145

331.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.17 AWG 34.32

$1.36 ¥9.35

1309.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.87 AWG 8.72

$0.36 ¥2.44

1252.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 AWG 44.88

$6.61 ¥45.28

279.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 AWG 2.55

$1.13 ¥7.74

25.66%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

33.27%

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

$35.6K AWG 63.8K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

108.63%

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

$222 AWG 397

$50.9 ¥349

335.61%

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

$87.8 AWG 157

$10.03 ¥68.7

775.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.9 AWG 170

$11.33 ¥77.6

737.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 AWG 136

$40.13 ¥275

89.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.49 AWG 70.7

$14.97 ¥103

163.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 AWG 17.62

$6.09 ¥41.74

61.58%

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

$234 AWG 418

$418 ¥2,860

-44.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K AWG 21.0K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-32.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 AWG 113

$46.40 ¥318

36.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.3 AWG 137

$32.92 ¥226

131.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 AWG 223

$71.1 ¥487

75.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 AWG 220

$72.9 ¥499

68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 AWG 1,441

$438 ¥3,003

83.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 AWG 1,068

$259 ¥1,775

130.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 AWG 2,810

$926 ¥6,341

69.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 AWG 2,562

$548 ¥3,754

161.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 AWG 3,959

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-56.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 AWG 3,088

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-35.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 AWG 4,524

$1,074 ¥7,357

135.32%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $541 in Aruba, $286 in China. Capital cities: $682 in Oranjestad vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,044 in Aruba, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Aruba.

Dining out costs 67% more in Aruba.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 145% higher in Aruba, giving Aruba stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,427 per month in Aruba and $873 in China, there's a 64% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.