Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,591 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Aruba
Learn more

Aruba Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica and in Aruba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Costa Rica versus $2,591 in Aruba.

Costa Rica $1,821
Aruba $2,591

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,773 in Costa Rica versus $4,489 in Aruba.

Costa Rica $2,773
Aruba $4,489

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,725 in Costa Rica versus $6,386 in Aruba.

Costa Rica $3,725
Aruba $6,386

Internal cost variation is higher in Aruba: monthly costs span $136 to $2,559, compared to $1,004–$2,114 in Costa Rica. City choice carries more weight in Aruba.

Living in Costa Rica costs about 30% less than in Aruba on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Costa Rica 34% above, Aruba 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$18.73 AWG 33.51

-39.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$89.9 AWG 161

-39.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$10.69 AWG 19.12

3.09%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$4.40 AWG 7.88

0.68%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$2.06 AWG 3.68

13.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.87 AWG 3.34

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$5.14 AWG 9.20

-36.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$7.83 AWG 14.02

-41.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$1.80 AWG 3.22

36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$2.94 AWG 5.26

21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$3.39 AWG 6.06

-18.58%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$5.01 AWG 8.96

-20.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$13.09 AWG 23.42

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$7.27 AWG 13.02

37.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$12.24 AWG 21.89

13.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$4.69 AWG 8.39

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$2.79 AWG 4.99

-39.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$6.34 AWG 11.34

-45.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$5.22 AWG 9.34

-38.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$3.54 AWG 6.33

-2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.04 AWG 3.65

59.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$2.86 AWG 5.12

-61.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.47 AWG 4.43

8.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$10.17 AWG 18.21

-47.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$10.18 AWG 18.22

52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$4.61 AWG 8.24

-40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$4.38 AWG 7.84

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$2.46 AWG 4.40

-54.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$92.6 AWG 166

-29.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$19.67 AWG 35.21

-88.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$3.91 AWG 7.00

-48.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$22.07 AWG 39.49

-59.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$2.48 AWG 4.44

-35.08%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$26.6K AWG 47.6K

29.75%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$35.9K AWG 64.3K

3.96%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$230 AWG 411

-58.67%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$82.8 AWG 148

-62.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$98.4 AWG 176

-40.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$78.7 AWG 141

-16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$37.97 AWG 67.9

-41.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$9.91 AWG 17.73

-18.26%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$227 AWG 407

217.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$11.7K AWG 20.9K

10.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$69.3 AWG 124

8.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$78.4 AWG 140

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$128 AWG 230

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$125 AWG 223

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$1,140 AWG 2,040

-15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$1,075 AWG 1,924

-34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$2,838 AWG 5,079

-38.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$3,036 AWG 5,433

-59.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$2,240 AWG 4,009

18.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$1,698 AWG 3,038

8.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$2,443 AWG 4,372

-56.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

6.25

52.96%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aruba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Aruba

$1.1K 41.5% 51.9% $367

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Aruba

$393 15.2% 3.4% $13

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Aruba

$292 11.3% 33.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Aruba

$411 15.9% 122% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Aruba

$180 7% 8.8% $15

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Aruba

$142 5.5% 72% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Aruba

$99 3.8% 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $855 in Costa Rica, $1,087 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,164 in San Jose vs $932 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $1,087 in Costa Rica, $2,395 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Aruba.

Dining out costs 44% more in Aruba.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in Aruba, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Aruba.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇦🇼 Aruba

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

106,739

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Aruba 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
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

Costa Rica vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,591 per month in Aruba and $1,821 in Costa Rica, Costa Rica comes out about 30% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,087 in Aruba and $855 in Costa Rica. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Costa Rica wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.