Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Aruba Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,540 in Costa Rica versus $1,079 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,324 in Costa Rica versus $1,759 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Costa Rica versus $2,438 in Aruba.

Living in Costa Rica is roughly 43% more expensive than in Aruba on average.

Costa Rica (16% above) and Aruba (19% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,558

$15.78 AWG 28.29

-35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$91.7 AWG 164

-34.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,463

$10.13 AWG 18.16

-2.07%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,828

$4.31 AWG 7.72

-5.80%

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

$2.12 ₡953

$1.81 AWG 3.24

17.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡776

$1.77 AWG 3.17

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,347

$3.59 AWG 6.44

-16.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,023

$5.27 AWG 9.45

-14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡910

$1.85 AWG 3.32

9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,390

$3.01 AWG 5.39

2.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$3.83 AWG 6.87

-36.55%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,492

$4.91 AWG 8.80

-32.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,131

$21.84 AWG 39.16

-57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,191

$7.40 AWG 13.26

25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,950

$13.13 AWG 23.54

0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,131

$5.03 AWG 9.02

-5.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$3.18 AWG 5.70

-49.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,461

$6.97 AWG 12.49

-53.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,330

$6.44 AWG 11.55

-54.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,315

$3.89 AWG 6.97

-24.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.59 AWG 4.65

7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡461

$4.13 AWG 7.40

-75.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$3.04 AWG 5.46

-19.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,278

$10.31 AWG 18.47

-50.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,557

$9.91 AWG 17.76

69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,033

$3.42 AWG 6.12

-32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,263

$4.81 AWG 8.62

-41.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡461

$2.93 AWG 5.26

-64.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡22.0K

$91.7 AWG 164

-46.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡814

$19.68 AWG 35.27

-90.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡907

$4.91 AWG 8.80

-59.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,455

$24.56 AWG 44.03

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.47 AWG 2.63

2.04%

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

$36.2K ₡16.3M

$25.6K AWG 45.9K

41.37%

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

$36.0K ₡16.2M

$35.6K AWG 63.8K

1.15%

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

$87.9 ₡39.5K

$222 AWG 398

-60.42%

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

$25.69 ₡11.6K

$86.1 AWG 154

-70.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$94.3 AWG 169

-42.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$76.6 AWG 137

-25.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

$39.23 AWG 70.3

-26.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,048

$9.88 AWG 17.71

-8.91%

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

$556 ₡250.3K

$229 AWG 410

142.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$11.5K AWG 20.6K

-11.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡33.0K

$62.4 AWG 112

17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.9K

$77.2 AWG 138

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.5K

$128 AWG 230

-7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.4K

$123 AWG 221

-16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡359.5K

$796 AWG 1,427

0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡244.3K

$582 AWG 1,043

-6.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡662.1K

$1,582 AWG 2,836

-7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡475.0K

$1,472 AWG 2,638

-28.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$2,292 AWG 4,109

7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡737.8K

$1,743 AWG 3,124

-5.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡487.7K

$2,467 AWG 4,422

-56.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

6.5

62.00%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Last update for Aruba: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $752 in Costa Rica, $540 in Aruba. Capital cities: $873 in San Jose vs $669 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $1,101 in Costa Rica, $2,436 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 49% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 121% higher in Aruba, 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

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

At $1,416 per month in Aruba and $1,597 in Costa Rica, there's a 13% 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 Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica 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; Costa Rica may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.