Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,288 a month against $2,555 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Aruba despite lower rent and utilities.

🇨🇦 Canada
$2,288
/mo nomad
🇦🇼 Aruba
$2,555
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Aruba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Canada versus $2,555 in Aruba.

  • Canada $2,288
  • Aruba $2,555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,318 in Canada versus $4,283 in Aruba.

  • Canada $3,318
  • Aruba $4,283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,348 in Canada versus $6,010 in Aruba.

  • Canada $4,348
  • Aruba $6,010

Living in Canada costs about 10% less than in Aruba on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Canada 69% above, Aruba 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.44 CA$24.66
$18.58 AWG 33.24
-6.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.8 CA$97.3
$89.7 AWG 161
-23.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.70 CA$15.13
$10.08 AWG 18.04
6.15%
Cappuccino
$3.83 CA$5.42
$4.95 AWG 8.86
-22.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.87
$2.08 AWG 3.73
-2.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.32
$1.84 AWG 3.29
-10.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.43 CA$7.68
$5.73 AWG 10.25
-5.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 CA$8.12
$7.93 AWG 14.20
-27.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CA$3.03
$1.77 AWG 3.17
20.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 CA$3.73
$2.95 AWG 5.28
-10.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.46 CA$4.89
$3.34 AWG 5.98
3.59%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.00
$4.87 AWG 8.72
-27.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.70 CA$15.12
$12.78 AWG 22.86
-16.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.86 CA$16.77
$7.63 AWG 13.66
55.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.84 CA$20.98
$12.21 AWG 21.84
21.54%
Apples (1kg)
$4.04 CA$5.71
$4.83 AWG 8.64
-16.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 CA$1.94
$2.74 AWG 4.91
-50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 CA$5.26
$6.25 AWG 11.18
-40.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.65
$5.19 AWG 9.28
-23.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$3.39 AWG 6.07
-22.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 CA$3.36
$2.01 AWG 3.59
18.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 CA$3.55
$2.94 AWG 5.27
-14.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.47
$2.39 AWG 4.28
-26.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.07 CA$19.90
$10.03 AWG 17.96
40.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.32 CA$18.83
$10.08 AWG 18.03
32.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 CA$4.05
$4.57 AWG 8.17
-37.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 CA$4.47
$4.55 AWG 8.15
-30.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Aruba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.50 CA$3.53
$2.49 AWG 4.45
0.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.5 CA$101
$94.4 AWG 169
-24.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 CA$4.38
$19.32 AWG 34.58
-84.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 CA$2.03
$3.91 AWG 6.99
-63.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.16 CA$36.98
$22.06 AWG 39.47
18.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.67
$2.39 AWG 4.27
-50.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.6K
$26.3K AWG 47.1K
6.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K CA$26.6K
$35.7K AWG 64.0K
-47.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 CA$210
$236 AWG 422
-37.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.44 CA$60.0
$85.5 AWG 153
-50.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.5 CA$82.7
$102 AWG 182
-42.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.65 CA$57.5
$78.8 AWG 141
-48.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.99 CA$26.84
$38.97 AWG 69.8
-51.27%
Cinema Ticket
$11.25 CA$15.90
$10.18 AWG 18.22
10.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$753 CA$1,064
$232 AWG 416
224.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K CA$20.2K
$11.7K AWG 21.0K
21.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 CA$74.2
$68.5 AWG 123
-23.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.23 CA$54.0
$76.4 AWG 137
-49.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 CA$124
$126 AWG 226
-30.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 CA$146
$121 AWG 217
-14.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Aruba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,236 CA$1,747
$985 AWG 1,763
25.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,120 CA$1,583
$1,023 AWG 1,831
9.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,996 CA$2,822
$2,602 AWG 4,656
-23.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,714 CA$2,423
$2,639 AWG 4,722
-35.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,503 CA$6,365
$2,271 AWG 4,064
98.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,888 CA$5,497
$1,762 AWG 3,154
120.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Aruba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,921 CA$4,129
$2,516 AWG 4,503
16.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
6.25
-22.08%

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

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aruba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Aruba
$1K 8.6% $97
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$366
Aruba
$391 7% $25
Eating Out
Canada
$271
Aruba
$298 10.1% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
Aruba
$423 69.7% $174
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Aruba
$177 39.4% $50
Getting Around
Canada
$92
Aruba
$143 56% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63
Aruba
$99 57.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,199 in Canada, $546 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,473 in Ottawa vs $928 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $2,892 in Canada, $2,438 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 66% more in Canada.

Public transport is 152% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 19% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇦🇼 Aruba
🕒 Local time
00:15 12:15 AM
00:15 12:15 AM
Same time as Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
106,739
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Aruba 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Aruba

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
Canada vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Aruba and Canada?
At $2,555 per month in Aruba and $2,288 in Canada, there's a 12% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Canada is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Aruba or in Canada?
In Canada, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Aruba it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Aruba or to Canada?
It depends on what you're after: Canada wins on affordability; Aruba may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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