Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,591 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Aruba
Spain
🇦🇼 Aruba
$2,591
/mo nomad
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aruba and in Spain

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aruba and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,591 in Aruba versus $1,775 in Spain.

  • Aruba $2,591
  • Spain $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,489 in Aruba versus $2,606 in Spain.

  • Aruba $4,489
  • Spain $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,386 in Aruba versus $3,438 in Spain.

  • Aruba $6,386
  • Spain $3,438

Internal cost variation is higher in Aruba: monthly costs span $136 to $2,559, compared to $931–$2,610 in Spain. City choice carries more weight in Aruba.

Living in Aruba is roughly 46% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Aruba 90% above, Spain 30% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 AWG 33.51
$16.69 €14.95
12.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.9 AWG 161
$55.7 €49.88
61.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 AWG 19.12
$11.37 €10.18
-5.98%
Cappuccino
$4.40 AWG 7.88
$2.42 €2.16
81.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 AWG 3.68
$2.68 €2.40
-23.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 AWG 3.34
$1.79 €1.60
4.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.14 AWG 9.20
$3.42 €3.07
50.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 AWG 14.02
$3.88 €3.47
101.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 AWG 3.22
$1.20 €1.07
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 AWG 5.26
$1.48 €1.33
98.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.39 AWG 6.06
$1.67 €1.50
102.99%
Eggs
$5.01 AWG 8.96
$3.42 €3.06
46.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.09 AWG 23.42
$14.17 €12.69
-7.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.27 AWG 13.02
$8.33 €7.46
-12.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.24 AWG 21.89
$16.20 €14.51
-24.44%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 AWG 8.39
$2.45 €2.20
91.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.79 AWG 4.99
$2.03 €1.82
37.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.34 AWG 11.34
$2.08 €1.86
204.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.22 AWG 9.34
$2.58 €2.31
102.33%
Potato (1kg)
$3.54 AWG 6.33
$1.83 €1.64
93.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 AWG 3.65
$2.00 €1.79
2.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.86 AWG 5.12
$1.31 €1.17
118.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 AWG 4.43
$0.77 €0.69
220.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.17 AWG 18.21
$6.36 €5.70
59.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.18 AWG 18.22
$5.64 €5.05
80.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.61 AWG 8.24
$1.30 €1.17
254.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 AWG 7.84
$2.09 €1.87
109.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Aruba
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.46 AWG 4.40
$1.64 €1.47
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.6 AWG 166
$32.91 €29.48
181.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$19.67 AWG 35.21
$4.43 €3.96
344.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.91 AWG 7.00
$1.47 €1.31
165.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.07 AWG 39.49
$24.98 €22.38
-11.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.48 AWG 4.44
$1.77 €1.59
40.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K AWG 47.6K
$35.5K €31.8K
-25.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K AWG 64.3K
$30.6K €27.4K
17.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 AWG 411
$149 €134
53.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$82.8 AWG 148
$17.67 €15.83
368.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$98.4 AWG 176
$31.88 €28.55
208.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.7 AWG 141
$44.24 €39.62
77.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.97 AWG 67.9
$15.29 €13.70
148.33%
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 AWG 17.73
$9.66 €8.65
2.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$227 AWG 407
$544 €487
-58.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K AWG 20.9K
$10.6K €9,499
9.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.3 AWG 124
$84.9 €76.0
-18.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$78.4 AWG 140
$37.11 €33.24
111.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 AWG 230
$89.2 €79.9
44.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 AWG 223
$106 €94.7
17.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aruba
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,140 AWG 2,040
$1,056 €946
7.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 AWG 1,924
$808 €723
33.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,838 AWG 5,079
$1,621 €1,452
75.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,036 AWG 5,433
$1,246 €1,116
143.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,240 AWG 4,009
$4,135 €3,704
-45.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,698 AWG 3,038
$2,633 €2,358
-35.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aruba
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,443 AWG 4,372
$1,999 €1,790
22.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.25
3.3
89.39%

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

Last update for Aruba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Aruba
$1.1K
Spain
$808 24.9% $268
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aruba
$411
Spain
$199 51.6% $212
Groceries & Markets
Aruba
$393
Spain
$272 30.9% $121
Eating Out
Aruba
$292
Spain
$239 18% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Aruba
$180
Spain
$143 20.9% $38
Getting Around
Aruba
$142
Spain
$51 63.8% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Aruba
$99
Spain
$64 35.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,087 in Aruba, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $932 in Oranjestad vs $1,508 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,395 in Aruba, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in Aruba.

Dining out costs 37% more in Aruba.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 21% higher in Aruba, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇦🇼 Aruba
🇪🇸 Spain
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
17:19 5:19 PM
5 h ahead of Aruba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
106,739
47,415,750
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aruba Spain 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Aruba
  • Spain

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Aruba and Spain?
At $2,591 per month in Aruba and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 32% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,087 in Aruba and $920 in Spain. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Aruba or to Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Aruba vs other spots: cost of living compared

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