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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,079 in Aruba versus $1,540 in Costa Rica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,759 in Aruba versus $2,324 in Costa Rica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,438 in Aruba versus $3,107 in Costa Rica.

Living in Aruba costs about 30% less than in Costa Rica on average.

Aruba (19% below) and Costa Rica (16% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 AWG 28.29

$10.13 ₡4,558

55.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 AWG 164

$59.8 ₡26.9K

53.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 AWG 18.16

$9.92 ₡4,463

2.12%

Cappuccino

$4.31 AWG 7.72

$4.06 ₡1,828

6.16%

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

$1.81 AWG 3.24

$2.12 ₡953

-14.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 AWG 3.17

$1.73 ₡776

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 AWG 6.44

$2.99 ₡1,347

20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 AWG 9.45

$4.50 ₡2,023

17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 AWG 3.32

$2.02 ₡910

-8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 AWG 5.39

$3.09 ₡1,390

-2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 AWG 6.87

$2.43 ₡1,092

57.61%

Eggs

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$3.32 ₡1,492

47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.84 AWG 39.16

$9.18 ₡4,131

137.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 AWG 13.26

$9.31 ₡4,191

-20.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 AWG 23.54

$13.22 ₡5,950

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 AWG 9.02

$4.74 ₡2,131

6.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 AWG 5.70

$1.61 ₡722

97.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.97 AWG 12.49

$3.25 ₡1,461

114.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 AWG 11.55

$2.96 ₡1,330

117.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 AWG 6.97

$2.92 ₡1,315

33.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 AWG 4.65

$2.78 ₡1,249

-6.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.13 AWG 7.40

$1.02 ₡461

304.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 AWG 5.46

$2.45 ₡1,104

24.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 AWG 18.47

$5.06 ₡2,278

103.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 AWG 17.76

$16.79 ₡7,557

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 AWG 6.12

$2.30 ₡1,033

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 AWG 8.62

$2.81 ₡1,263

71.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 AWG 5.26

$1.03 ₡461

184.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 AWG 164

$48.91 ₡22.0K

87.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 AWG 35.27

$1.81 ₡814

987.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$2.01 ₡907

144.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 AWG 44.03

$7.68 ₡3,455

219.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 AWG 2.63

$1.50 ₡676

-2.00%

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

$25.6K AWG 45.9K

$36.2K ₡16.3M

-29.27%

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

$35.6K AWG 63.8K

$36.0K ₡16.2M

-1.14%

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

$222 AWG 398

$87.9 ₡39.5K

152.68%

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

$86.1 AWG 154

$25.69 ₡11.6K

235.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.3 AWG 169

$54.3 ₡24.5K

73.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.6 AWG 137

$56.9 ₡25.6K

34.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 AWG 70.3

$28.68 ₡12.9K

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 AWG 17.71

$9.00 ₡4,048

9.78%

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

$229 AWG 410

$556 ₡250.3K

-58.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K AWG 20.6K

$10.2K ₡4.6M

13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 AWG 112

$73.4 ₡33.0K

-14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.2 AWG 138

$53.2 ₡23.9K

45.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 AWG 230

$119 ₡53.5K

7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 AWG 221

$103 ₡46.4K

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 AWG 1,427

$799 ₡359.5K

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 AWG 1,043

$543 ₡244.3K

7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 AWG 2,836

$1,471 ₡662.1K

7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 AWG 2,638

$1,055 ₡475.0K

39.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,292 AWG 4,109

$2,461 ₡1.1M

-6.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,743 AWG 3,124

$1,640 ₡737.8K

6.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,467 AWG 4,422

$1,084 ₡487.7K

127.58%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $540 in Aruba, $752 in Costa Rica. Capital cities: $669 in Oranjestad vs $873 in San Jose.

National salary averages: $2,436 in Aruba, $1,101 in Costa Rica. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 49% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 121% 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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,416 per month in Aruba and $1,597 in Costa Rica, there's a 13% 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 Aruba: 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 Costa Rica is consistently higher than in Aruba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Aruba, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Costa Rica 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: Aruba wins on affordability; Costa Rica may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.