Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and United States Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and United States

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,070 in Aruba versus $2,643 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Aruba versus $3,857 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,479 in Aruba versus $5,070 in United States.

Living in Aruba costs about 60% less than in United States on average.

Aruba (20% below) and United States (97% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.56 AWG 27.85

$20.04 $20.04

-22.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 AWG 164

$76.0 $76.0

20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 AWG 17.65

$11.42 $11.42

-13.66%

Cappuccino

$4.32 AWG 7.73

$5.39 $5.39

-19.85%

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

$1.86 AWG 3.33

$2.55 $2.55

-27.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 AWG 3.03

$2.04 $2.04

-17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 AWG 6.38

$6.14 $6.14

-41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 AWG 9.29

$7.18 $7.18

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AWG 3.29

$1.04 $1.04

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 AWG 5.38

$3.65 $3.65

-17.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 AWG 6.71

$4.73 $4.73

-20.72%

Eggs

$4.91 AWG 8.80

$4.38 $4.38

12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.57 AWG 40.39

$12.76 $12.76

76.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 AWG 13.11

$12.42 $12.42

-41.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 AWG 23.67

$16.41 $16.41

-19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 AWG 9.18

$5.42 $5.42

-5.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 AWG 5.70

$1.65 $1.65

93.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.01 AWG 12.54

$4.59 $4.59

52.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 AWG 11.80

$4.91 $4.91

34.42%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 AWG 7.17

$2.92 $2.92

37.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 AWG 4.49

$3.13 $3.13

-19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.09 AWG 7.32

$2.26 $2.26

80.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 AWG 5.18

$2.30 $2.30

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 AWG 18.64

$9.89 $9.89

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 AWG 17.82

$15.10 $15.10

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 AWG 6.16

$1.91 $1.91

80.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 AWG 8.62

$3.66 $3.66

31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 AWG 5.47

$2.48 $2.48

23.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 AWG 169

$64.8 $64.8

45.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.59 AWG 35.05

$3.84 $3.84

410.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.10 AWG 9.12

$1.76 $1.76

189.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.96 AWG 44.67

$30.58 $30.58

-18.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 AWG 2.61

$0.96 $0.96

52.08%

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

$25.9K AWG 46.3K

$30.5K $30.5K

-15.04%

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

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

31.71%

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

$220 AWG 393

$204 $204

7.68%

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

$86.0 AWG 154

$57.3 $57.3

50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.0 AWG 172

$71.2 $71.2

34.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 AWG 133

$46.67 $46.67

59.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.47 AWG 68.8

$22.12 $22.12

73.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 AWG 18.19

$13.84 $13.84

-26.59%

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

$229 AWG 410

$1,384 $1,384

-83.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K AWG 20.9K

$22.7K $22.7K

-48.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 AWG 111

$53.0 $53.0

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.9 AWG 136

$43.17 $43.17

75.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 AWG 227

$90.6 $90.6

40.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AWG 218

$114 $114

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 AWG 1,452

$1,766 $1,766

-54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 AWG 1,037

$1,459 $1,459

-60.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 AWG 2,784

$2,832 $2,832

-45.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 AWG 2,578

$2,411 $2,411

-40.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,233 AWG 3,996

$3,287 $3,287

-32.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,757 AWG 3,145

$2,650 $2,650

-33.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,469 AWG 4,419

$4,379 $4,379

-43.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.51

-0.15%

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

Last update for Aruba: May 31, 2026

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $537 in Aruba, $1,637 in United States. Capital cities: $670 in Oranjestad vs $2,591 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,419 in Aruba, $4,500 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 205% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 109% more in United States.

Salaries are 86% higher in United States, 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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,400 per month in Aruba and $3,212 in United States, there's a 130% 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 United States 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 United States, 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.