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: $1,072 in Aruba versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,772 in Aruba versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,472 in Aruba versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Aruba is roughly 50% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Aruba 20% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.68 AWG 28.07

$2.86 ¥19.36

448.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 AWG 161

$23.29 ¥158

286.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 AWG 17.98

$4.83 ¥32.66

107.87%

Cappuccino

$4.35 AWG 7.79

$3.04 ¥20.52

43.09%

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

$1.83 AWG 3.28

$0.45 ¥3.03

306.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 AWG 3.09

$0.27 ¥1.81

540.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 AWG 6.23

$0.99 ¥6.71

251.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 AWG 9.09

$2.03 ¥13.74

150.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AWG 3.29

$1.75 ¥11.86

5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 AWG 5.27

$1.67 ¥11.31

76.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 AWG 6.73

$0.97 ¥6.56

287.63%

Eggs

$4.98 AWG 8.91

$1.54 ¥10.45

223.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.28 AWG 39.88

$13.30 ¥89.9

67.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 AWG 13.43

$3.21 ¥21.69

133.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 AWG 24.00

$10.79 ¥73.0

24.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 AWG 8.89

$1.81 ¥12.27

174.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 AWG 5.74

$1.31 ¥8.84

145.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 AWG 13.04

$1.50 ¥10.15

385.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 AWG 12.07

$1.14 ¥7.74

491.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 AWG 7.22

$0.73 ¥4.90

452.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 AWG 4.68

$0.87 ¥5.86

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.95 AWG 7.07

$0.57 ¥3.85

592.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 AWG 5.39

$0.54 ¥3.63

457.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.28 AWG 18.41

$3.53 ¥23.88

191.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 AWG 18.10

$11.71 ¥79.2

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 AWG 6.39

$0.84 ¥5.67

325.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 AWG 8.46

$1.67 ¥11.29

182.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 AWG 5.52

$0.41 ¥2.75

651.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 AWG 166

$20.78 ¥141

347.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.35 AWG 34.63

$1.36 ¥9.21

1322.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.89 AWG 8.75

$0.33 ¥2.21

1381.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.49 AWG 45.62

$6.86 ¥46.40

271.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 AWG 2.54

$1.12 ¥7.57

26.79%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

37.20%

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

$35.9K AWG 64.3K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

112.42%

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

$219 AWG 392

$51.8 ¥350

323.12%

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

$86.5 AWG 155

$9.85 ¥66.6

777.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.7 AWG 170

$11.13 ¥75.3

751.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 AWG 136

$39.10 ¥264

93.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.17 AWG 68.3

$14.89 ¥101

156.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 AWG 17.59

$6.25 ¥42.24

57.28%

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

$226 AWG 404

$404 ¥2,732

-44.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K AWG 21.0K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-34.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 AWG 114

$46.11 ¥312

38.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.9 AWG 138

$32.27 ¥218

138.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 AWG 230

$72.7 ¥491

76.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AWG 218

$72.9 ¥493

66.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 AWG 1,445

$445 ¥3,009

81.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 AWG 1,067

$255 ¥1,727

133.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 AWG 2,826

$927 ¥6,266

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 AWG 2,546

$532 ¥3,600

167.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 AWG 4,085

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-53.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,720 AWG 3,079

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-30.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,521 AWG 4,511

$1,057 ¥7,148

138.44%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $541 in Aruba, $286 in China. Capital cities: $686 in Oranjestad vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,420 in Aruba, $862 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 181% 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 $1,424 per month in Aruba and $871 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.