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: $1,068 in Aruba versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Aruba versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,602 in Aruba versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Aruba is roughly 49% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Aruba 22% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 AWG 33.48

$2.92 ¥19.58

540.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 AWG 159

$22.23 ¥149

300.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 AWG 17.58

$5.13 ¥34.34

91.62%

Cappuccino

$4.71 AWG 8.43

$2.99 ¥20.03

57.53%

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

$2.14 AWG 3.84

$0.52 ¥3.50

311.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 AWG 3.23

$0.28 ¥1.87

546.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 AWG 10.03

$1.05 ¥7.04

434.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 AWG 13.65

$2.26 ¥15.17

237.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AWG 3.29

$1.81 ¥12.11

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 AWG 5.38

$1.68 ¥11.23

79.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 AWG 6.10

$0.90 ¥6.05

278.89%

Eggs

$4.81 AWG 8.60

$1.56 ¥10.43

208.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 AWG 22.98

$13.24 ¥88.7

-3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 AWG 13.28

$3.49 ¥23.40

112.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 AWG 21.34

$11.23 ¥75.2

6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 AWG 8.69

$1.86 ¥12.43

161.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 AWG 4.90

$1.26 ¥8.47

117.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 AWG 11.21

$1.53 ¥10.22

309.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 AWG 9.27

$1.26 ¥8.45

311.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 AWG 6.11

$0.73 ¥4.91

367.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 AWG 3.63

$0.88 ¥5.89

130.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 AWG 5.15

$0.65 ¥4.33

343.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 AWG 4.28

$0.58 ¥3.88

312.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 AWG 17.54

$3.71 ¥24.84

164.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 AWG 17.74

$11.80 ¥79.0

-16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 AWG 8.25

$0.85 ¥5.69

442.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 AWG 7.95

$1.67 ¥11.19

165.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 AWG 4.59

$0.29 ¥1.93

786.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 AWG 167

$22.67 ¥152

311.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.44 AWG 34.78

$1.50 ¥10.07

1196.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.92 AWG 7.01

$0.35 ¥2.32

1020.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.77 AWG 38.95

$7.29 ¥48.84

198.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 AWG 4.02

$1.22 ¥8.18

83.61%

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

$26.0K AWG 46.5K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

36.94%

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

$34.7K AWG 62.1K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

99.85%

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

$231 AWG 413

$54.0 ¥362

327.08%

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

$86.1 AWG 154

$8.41 ¥56.4

923.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.9 AWG 179

$10.82 ¥72.5

822.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 AWG 139

$40.41 ¥271

92.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.00 AWG 68.0

$14.63 ¥98.0

159.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 AWG 17.69

$6.60 ¥44.18

49.85%

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

$233 AWG 418

$452 ¥3,025

-48.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K AWG 20.7K

$19.2K ¥128.9K

-39.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 AWG 122

$44.23 ¥296

53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 AWG 138

$35.46 ¥238

117.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 AWG 230

$74.7 ¥500

71.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 AWG 221

$78.6 ¥527

57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 AWG 1,746

$394 ¥2,642

147.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 AWG 1,845

$243 ¥1,630

323.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 AWG 4,718

$845 ¥5,660

211.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 AWG 4,617

$481 ¥3,221

436.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,211 AWG 3,957

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-52.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,710 AWG 3,060

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-26.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,526 AWG 4,521

$1,060 ¥7,100

138.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

3.47

80.12%

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

Last update for Aruba: September 12, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $543 in Aruba, $294 in China. Capital cities: $935 in Oranjestad vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,393 in Aruba, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% higher in Aruba.

Dining out costs 81% more in Aruba.

Public transport is 35% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 176% 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 $1,190 per month in Aruba and $837 in China, there's a 42% 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.