Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Aruba Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,509 in Australia versus $1,068 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,641 in Australia versus $1,835 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,772 in Australia versus $2,602 in Aruba.

Living in Australia is roughly 135% more expensive than in Aruba on average.

Australia (83% above) and Aruba (22% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.61

$18.71 AWG 33.48

-2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$89.0 AWG 159

-3.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.33

$9.83 AWG 17.58

10.58%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.80

$4.71 AWG 8.43

-12.74%

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

$3.04 A$4.29

$2.14 AWG 3.84

42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.48

$1.81 AWG 3.23

36.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.09

$5.61 AWG 10.03

40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.25

$7.63 AWG 13.65

4.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.44

$1.84 AWG 3.29

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.92

$3.01 AWG 5.38

-7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.36

$3.41 AWG 6.10

-30.21%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.17

$4.81 AWG 8.60

5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.07

$12.84 AWG 22.98

-22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$13.03

$7.42 AWG 13.28

24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.85

$11.93 AWG 21.34

29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.26

$4.86 AWG 8.69

-23.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.26

$2.74 AWG 4.90

10.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.56

$6.27 AWG 11.21

-48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.89

$5.18 AWG 9.27

-5.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.05

$3.41 AWG 6.11

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.33

$2.03 AWG 3.63

16.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.51

$2.88 AWG 5.15

-13.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.36

$2.39 AWG 4.28

-29.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.3

$9.80 AWG 17.54

292.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.10

$9.91 AWG 17.74

43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.15

$4.61 AWG 8.25

9.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.32

$4.44 AWG 7.95

16.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.92

$2.57 AWG 4.59

8.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$134

$93.3 AWG 167

1.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$19.44 AWG 34.78

-81.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.25

$3.92 AWG 7.01

-59.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$57.0

$21.77 AWG 38.95

85.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$2.24 AWG 4.02

-43.30%

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

$28.3K A$40.0K

$26.0K AWG 46.5K

8.99%

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

$28.6K A$40.4K

$34.7K AWG 62.1K

-17.40%

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

$202 A$285

$231 AWG 413

-12.46%

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

$29.08 A$41.02

$86.1 AWG 154

-66.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$84.0

$99.9 AWG 179

-40.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.6

$77.8 AWG 139

-23.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.38

$38.00 AWG 68.0

-47.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.21

$9.89 AWG 17.69

59.25%

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

$2,197 A$3,099

$233 AWG 418

841.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.7K

$11.6K AWG 20.7K

57.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$112

$67.9 AWG 122

16.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.7

$77.1 AWG 138

-25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$161

$128 AWG 230

-11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$176

$124 AWG 221

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,229

$976 AWG 1,746

61.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,820

$1,031 AWG 1,845

25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,568

$2,637 AWG 4,718

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,795

$2,580 AWG 4,617

-23.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.1K

$2,211 AWG 3,957

287.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,631

$1,710 AWG 3,060

257.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,612

$2,526 AWG 4,521

57.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.25

-5.12%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for Aruba: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,387 in Australia, $543 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,829 in Canberra vs $935 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $3,903 in Australia, $2,393 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 155% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 121% more in Australia.

Public transport is 243% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 63% higher in Australia, 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

Australia vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,190 per month in Aruba and $2,233 in Australia, there's a 88% 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 Australia 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 Australia 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; Australia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.