Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Costa Rica

😐 Solo nomad: Aruba is 37.3% more expensive than Costa Rica without rent, and 34% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Aruba is 39.8% more expensive than Costa Rica without rent, and 44.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.95 AWG 28.55
$9.67 ₡4,599
64.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 AWG 161
$58.6 ₡27.9K
53.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.06 AWG 18.01
$10.23 ₡4,868
-1.66%
Cappuccino
$4.30 AWG 7.70
$3.97 ₡1,890
8.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 AWG 3.27
$2.17 ₡1,032
-15.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 AWG 3.05
$1.73 ₡823
-1.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.53 AWG 6.32
$2.89 ₡1,375
22.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.09 AWG 9.11
$4.40 ₡2,096
15.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 AWG 3.43
$2.05 ₡977
-6.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.91 AWG 5.20
$3.09 ₡1,469
-5.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.71 AWG 6.64
$2.51 ₡1,194
47.81%
Eggs
$4.82 AWG 8.62
$3.30 ₡1,569
46.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.68 AWG 40.60
$9.16 ₡4,359
147.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.56 AWG 13.53
$9.29 ₡4,421
-18.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.37 AWG 23.93
$13.16 ₡6,263
1.60%
Apples (1kg)
$5.18 AWG 9.26
$4.48 ₡2,131
15.62%
Banana (1kg)
$3.10 AWG 5.55
$1.62 ₡771
91.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.09 AWG 12.69
$3.22 ₡1,530
120.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.45 AWG 11.55
$2.98 ₡1,419
116.44%
Potato (1kg)
$4.01 AWG 7.17
$3.01 ₡1,432
33.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.53 AWG 4.52
$2.85 ₡1,354
-11.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.11 AWG 7.35
$1.01 ₡481
306.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 AWG 5.34
$2.51 ₡1,194
18.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.09 AWG 18.06
$4.94 ₡2,350
104.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 AWG 17.64
$15.72 ₡7,481
-37.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.38 AWG 6.06
$2.38 ₡1,130
42.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.75 AWG 8.51
$2.71 ₡1,290
75.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 AWG 5.46
$0.94 ₡448
224.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.2 AWG 163
$48.94 ₡23.3K
86.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$19.39 AWG 34.70
$1.79 ₡853
983.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.90 AWG 8.77
$2.01 ₡956
143.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.62 AWG 44.07
$7.82 ₡3,723
214.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 AWG 2.61
$1.51 ₡719
-3.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K AWG 47.2K
$36.8K ₡17.5M
-28.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8K AWG 64.1K
$34.7K ₡16.5M
3.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 AWG 403
$86.8 ₡41.3K
159.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$85.3 AWG 153
$25.69 ₡12.2K
232.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$96.1 AWG 172
$53.8 ₡25.6K
78.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.0 AWG 138
$55.9 ₡26.6K
37.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.26 AWG 70.3
$28.78 ₡13.7K
36.41%
Cinema Ticket
$10.04 AWG 17.97
$9.04 ₡4,303
11.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$233 AWG 418
$560 ₡266.6K
-58.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K AWG 20.8K
$10.0K ₡4.8M
16.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.5 AWG 110
$72.4 ₡34.4K
-15.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.8 AWG 136
$54.4 ₡25.9K
39.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 AWG 223
$117 ₡55.7K
6.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 AWG 215
$103 ₡49.0K
16.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$807 AWG 1,445
$811 ₡386.1K
-0.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$587 AWG 1,050
$551 ₡262.0K
6.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,539 AWG 2,754
$1,482 ₡705.3K
3.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,462 AWG 2,617
$1,036 ₡492.9K
41.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,274 AWG 4,071
$2,301 ₡1.1M
-1.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,718 AWG 3,075
$1,575 ₡749.6K
9.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aruba
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,272 AWG 4,067
$1,030 ₡490.1K
120.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
10.53
-38.27%

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

Last update for Aruba: March 3, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated January 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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