Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,070 in Aruba versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Aruba versus $1,791 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,479 in Aruba versus $2,461 in Mexico.

Living in Aruba costs about 5% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Aruba 20% lower, Mexico 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.56 AWG 27.85

$10.51 MX$182

48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 AWG 164

$41.93 MX$725

118.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 AWG 17.65

$7.84 MX$136

25.77%

Cappuccino

$4.32 AWG 7.73

$3.42 MX$59.2

26.32%

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

$1.86 AWG 3.33

$1.32 MX$22.83

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 AWG 3.03

$0.98 MX$16.98

72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 AWG 6.38

$2.36 MX$40.81

51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 AWG 9.29

$4.27 MX$73.8

21.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AWG 3.29

$1.51 MX$26.15

21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 AWG 5.38

$2.66 MX$45.95

13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 AWG 6.71

$1.70 MX$29.46

120.59%

Eggs

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$2.35 MX$40.66

108.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.57 AWG 40.39

$8.40 MX$145

168.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 AWG 13.11

$7.55 MX$131

-3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 AWG 23.67

$10.84 MX$187

22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 AWG 9.18

$2.72 MX$47.13

88.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 AWG 5.70

$1.51 MX$26.08

111.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 AWG 12.54

$1.92 MX$33.26

265.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 AWG 11.80

$1.80 MX$31.14

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 AWG 7.17

$2.03 MX$35.07

97.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 AWG 4.49

$1.99 MX$34.49

26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.09 AWG 7.32

$1.31 MX$22.71

212.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 AWG 5.18

$1.06 MX$18.26

173.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 AWG 18.64

$4.26 MX$73.7

144.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 AWG 17.82

$11.56 MX$200

-13.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 AWG 6.16

$1.58 MX$27.25

117.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 AWG 8.62

$3.03 MX$52.3

59.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 AWG 5.47

$0.61 MX$10.48

401.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 AWG 169

$26.28 MX$455

258.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.59 AWG 35.05

$2.69 MX$46.54

628.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.10 AWG 9.12

$1.93 MX$33.37

164.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.96 AWG 44.67

$10.64 MX$184

134.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 AWG 2.61

$1.32 MX$22.91

10.61%

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

$25.9K AWG 46.3K

$20.1K MX$346.9K

29.11%

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

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

$23.4K MX$405.5K

48.19%

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

$220 AWG 393

$62.4 MX$1,080

252.23%

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

$86.0 AWG 154

$23.27 MX$403

269.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.0 AWG 172

$28.56 MX$494

236.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 AWG 133

$34.68 MX$600

114.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.47 AWG 68.8

$18.65 MX$323

106.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 AWG 18.19

$4.69 MX$81.1

116.63%

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

$229 AWG 410

$249 MX$4,308

-7.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K AWG 20.9K

$5,774 MX$99.9K

102.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 AWG 111

$52.3 MX$904

18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.9 AWG 136

$40.31 MX$697

88.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 AWG 227

$93.0 MX$1,609

36.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AWG 218

$87.6 MX$1,515

39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 AWG 1,452

$639 MX$11.1K

26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 AWG 1,037

$448 MX$7,743

29.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 AWG 2,784

$1,226 MX$21.2K

26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 AWG 2,578

$870 MX$15.0K

65.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,233 AWG 3,996

$2,628 MX$45.5K

-15.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,757 AWG 3,145

$1,563 MX$27.0K

12.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,469 AWG 4,419

$825 MX$14.3K

199.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.45

-43.23%

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

Last update for Aruba: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $537 in Aruba, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $670 in Oranjestad vs $1,022 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $2,419 in Aruba, $772 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 11% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 118% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 213% 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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,400 per month in Aruba and $1,542 in Mexico, there's a 10% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Aruba 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 Mexico beats 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 Mexico, 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. Aruba wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.