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: $1,066 in Aruba versus $2,622 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Aruba versus $3,830 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,593 in Aruba versus $5,038 in United States.

Living in Aruba costs about 59% less than in United States on average.

Aruba (22% below) and United States (91% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.60 AWG 33.30

$19.78 $19.78

-5.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 AWG 159

$81.4 $81.4

9.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 AWG 18.19

$12.11 $12.11

-16.10%

Cappuccino

$4.93 AWG 8.82

$5.44 $5.44

-9.38%

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

$2.14 AWG 3.83

$2.67 $2.67

-19.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 AWG 3.23

$2.08 $2.08

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 AWG 9.82

$6.06 $6.06

-9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 AWG 14.10

$8.14 $8.14

-3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 AWG 3.20

$1.05 $1.05

70.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

$3.65 $3.65

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 AWG 6.05

$4.45 $4.45

-24.04%

Eggs

$5.03 AWG 9.00

$4.35 $4.35

15.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 AWG 22.71

$12.73 $12.73

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 AWG 13.42

$12.46 $12.46

-39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 AWG 21.53

$16.95 $16.95

-29.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 AWG 8.37

$5.30 $5.30

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 AWG 5.09

$1.70 $1.70

67.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 AWG 11.33

$4.40 $4.40

43.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 AWG 9.04

$5.01 $5.01

0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 AWG 6.14

$2.87 $2.87

19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 AWG 3.45

$3.13 $3.13

-38.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 AWG 5.05

$2.32 $2.32

21.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 AWG 4.35

$2.34 $2.34

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 AWG 18.15

$10.55 $10.55

-3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 AWG 17.64

$14.94 $14.94

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.52 AWG 8.10

$2.12 $2.12

113.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 AWG 8.16

$3.69 $3.69

23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 AWG 4.36

$2.37 $2.37

2.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 AWG 164

$65.1 $65.1

40.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.21 AWG 34.38

$3.42 $3.42

461.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.79 AWG 6.79

$1.89 $1.89

100.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.81 AWG 39.03

$30.16 $30.16

-27.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 AWG 3.92

$0.98 $0.98

123.47%

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

$26.2K AWG 46.9K

$35.9K $35.9K

-27.06%

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

$35.3K AWG 63.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

36.16%

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

$232 AWG 416

$218 $218

6.80%

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

$85.7 AWG 153

$61.0 $61.0

40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.0 AWG 177

$74.8 $74.8

32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 AWG 139

$44.42 $44.42

74.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.38 AWG 70.5

$22.53 $22.53

74.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 AWG 18.02

$14.80 $14.80

-31.96%

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

$228 AWG 408

$1,476 $1,476

-84.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K AWG 21.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

-54.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 AWG 125

$54.4 $54.4

28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.5 AWG 137

$43.59 $43.59

75.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 AWG 227

$92.9 $92.9

36.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AWG 219

$114 $114

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 AWG 1,807

$1,639 $1,639

-38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 AWG 1,784

$1,358 $1,358

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,632 AWG 4,711

$2,699 $2,699

-2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 AWG 4,694

$2,199 $2,199

19.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 AWG 4,090

$3,269 $3,269

-30.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,723 AWG 3,085

$2,589 $2,589

-33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,481 AWG 4,440

$4,357 $4,357

-43.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

6.21

0.64%

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

Last update for Aruba: August 29, 2026

Last update for United States: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $545 in Aruba, $1,606 in United States. Capital cities: $922 in Oranjestad vs $1,373 in Columbia, TN.

National salary averages: $2,417 in Aruba, $4,519 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 97% more in United States.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 87% higher in United States, 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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,164 per month in Aruba and $3,080 in United States, there's a 165% 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 United States 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 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.