Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Aruba: $2,555 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United States outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Aruba
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Aruba Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,555

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aruba and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Aruba versus $2,701 in the United States.

Aruba $2,555
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Aruba versus $3,980 in the United States.

Aruba $4,283
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,010 in Aruba versus $5,258 in the United States.

Aruba $6,010
United States $5,258

Living in Aruba costs about 5% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Aruba 89% above, the United States 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.58 AWG 33.24

$19.92 $19.92

-6.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 AWG 161

$81.0 $81.0

10.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 AWG 18.04

$12.07 $12.07

-16.49%

Cappuccino

$4.95 AWG 8.86

$5.55 $5.55

-10.81%

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

$2.08 AWG 3.73

$2.67 $2.67

-22.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 AWG 3.29

$2.09 $2.09

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 AWG 10.25

$5.96 $5.96

-3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 AWG 14.20

$7.76 $7.76

2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AWG 3.17

$1.05 $1.05

68.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 AWG 5.28

$3.55 $3.55

-16.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 AWG 5.98

$4.64 $4.64

-28.02%

Eggs

$4.87 AWG 8.72

$4.18 $4.18

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 AWG 22.86

$12.76 $12.76

0.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 AWG 13.66

$12.63 $12.63

-39.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 AWG 21.84

$17.22 $17.22

-29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 AWG 8.64

$5.15 $5.15

-6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 AWG 4.91

$1.64 $1.64

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.25 AWG 11.18

$4.46 $4.46

40.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 AWG 9.28

$4.98 $4.98

4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 AWG 6.07

$2.84 $2.84

19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 AWG 3.59

$3.09 $3.09

-34.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 AWG 5.27

$2.19 $2.19

34.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 AWG 4.28

$2.27 $2.27

5.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 AWG 17.96

$10.61 $10.61

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 AWG 18.03

$14.71 $14.71

-31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.57 AWG 8.17

$2.10 $2.10

117.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 AWG 8.15

$3.82 $3.82

19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 AWG 4.45

$2.35 $2.35

5.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 AWG 169

$64.1 $64.1

47.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.32 AWG 34.58

$3.57 $3.57

441.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.91 AWG 6.99

$1.85 $1.85

111.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.06 AWG 39.47

$30.19 $30.19

-26.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 AWG 4.27

$1.07 $1.07

123.36%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

$35.3K $35.3K

-25.49%

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

$35.7K AWG 64.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

38.02%

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

$236 AWG 422

$217 $217

8.91%

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

$85.5 AWG 153

$61.4 $61.4

39.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AWG 182

$74.4 $74.4

36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 AWG 141

$45.08 $45.08

74.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.97 AWG 69.8

$23.07 $23.07

68.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 AWG 18.22

$14.79 $14.79

-31.17%

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

$232 AWG 416

$1,480 $1,480

-84.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K AWG 21.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 AWG 123

$53.0 $53.0

29.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.4 AWG 137

$42.75 $42.75

78.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 AWG 226

$94.3 $94.3

34.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 AWG 217

$115 $115

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 AWG 1,763

$1,678 $1,678

-41.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 AWG 1,831

$1,313 $1,313

-22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 AWG 4,656

$2,649 $2,649

-1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 AWG 4,722

$2,183 $2,183

20.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 AWG 4,064

$3,374 $3,374

-32.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,762 AWG 3,154

$2,661 $2,661

-33.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,516 AWG 4,503

$4,404 $4,404

-42.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

6.55

-4.58%

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

Last update for Aruba: October 10, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aruba

$1K 40%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 28.4% $290

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aruba

$423 16.6%

United States

$352 13% 16.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Aruba

$391 15.3%

United States

$411 15.2% 5% $19

Eating Out

Aruba

$298 11.7%

United States

$327 12.1% 9.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Aruba

$177 6.9%

United States

$137 5.1% 22.2% $39

Getting Around

Aruba

$143 5.6%

United States

$86 3.2% 39.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Aruba

$99 3.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 24.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $546 in Aruba, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $928 in Oranjestad vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,438 in Aruba, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 97% more in the United States.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 86% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Aruba

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

Same time as Aruba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,739

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aruba United States 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aruba
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,555 per month in Aruba and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 6% 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 cheaper in Aruba: 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $546 in Aruba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Aruba, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.