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: $1,536 in Costa Rica versus $1,081 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,320 in Costa Rica versus $1,769 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,104 in Costa Rica versus $2,457 in Aruba.

Living in Costa Rica is roughly 42% more expensive than Aruba on average.

Costa Rica (15% above) and Aruba (19% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,405

$15.96 AWG 28.57

-39.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$88.2 AWG 158

-32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,390

$9.91 AWG 17.74

-2.62%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,814

$4.24 AWG 7.59

-5.90%

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

$2.18 ₡991

$1.86 AWG 3.33

17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡744

$1.71 AWG 3.05

-4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,385

$3.56 AWG 6.37

-14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,008

$5.03 AWG 9.00

-12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡932

$1.86 AWG 3.33

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,462

$3.05 AWG 5.45

5.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,131

$3.86 AWG 6.91

-35.49%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,495

$4.86 AWG 8.70

-32.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,141

$22.49 AWG 40.26

-59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,409

$7.30 AWG 13.06

32.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡5,999

$13.42 AWG 24.02

-1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,059

$5.07 AWG 9.07

-10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡713

$3.15 AWG 5.64

-50.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,457

$7.03 AWG 12.59

-54.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,337

$6.64 AWG 11.88

-55.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,359

$4.03 AWG 7.21

-25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,233

$2.51 AWG 4.49

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡468

$3.98 AWG 7.12

-74.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,136

$3.03 AWG 5.42

-17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,296

$10.31 AWG 18.45

-51.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,359

$10.10 AWG 18.07

60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,089

$3.52 AWG 6.29

-32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,258

$4.60 AWG 8.23

-39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡430

$2.92 AWG 5.23

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$91.2 AWG 163

-46.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡846

$19.17 AWG 34.32

-90.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡914

$4.87 AWG 8.72

-58.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,526

$25.07 AWG 44.88

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡683

$1.42 AWG 2.55

5.63%

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

$36.8K ₡16.7M

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

39.79%

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

$35.5K ₡16.1M

$35.6K AWG 63.8K

-0.49%

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

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$222 AWG 397

-60.55%

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

$25.82 ₡11.7K

$87.8 AWG 157

-70.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$94.9 AWG 170

-42.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$76.1 AWG 136

-25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.2K

$39.49 AWG 70.7

-26.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,156

$9.84 AWG 17.62

-7.11%

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

$555 ₡252.3K

$234 AWG 418

137.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

$11.7K AWG 21.0K

-16.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.6K

$63.4 AWG 113

16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.6K

$76.3 AWG 137

-29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$125 AWG 223

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.4K

$123 AWG 220

-16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡373.9K

$805 AWG 1,441

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡249.6K

$597 AWG 1,068

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡667.9K

$1,570 AWG 2,810

-6.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡465.3K

$1,431 AWG 2,562

-28.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$2,212 AWG 3,959

5.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡733.2K

$1,725 AWG 3,088

-6.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡489.4K

$2,527 AWG 4,524

-57.41%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Aruba: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $776 in Costa Rica, $541 in Aruba. Capital cities: $872 in San Jose vs $682 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $1,110 in Costa Rica, $2,044 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 46% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 84% higher in Aruba, giving Aruba stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,427 per month in Aruba and $1,599 in Costa Rica, 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.

Aruba is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.