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 $1,072 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Costa Rica versus $1,772 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,113 in Costa Rica versus $2,472 in Aruba.

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

Costa Rica (14% above) and Aruba (20% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₡4,484

$15.68 AWG 28.07

-36.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.2K

$90.0 AWG 161

-33.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₡4,429

$10.04 AWG 17.98

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,859

$4.35 AWG 7.79

-5.52%

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

$2.10 ₡951

$1.83 AWG 3.28

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡770

$1.73 AWG 3.09

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,359

$3.48 AWG 6.23

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,986

$5.08 AWG 9.09

-13.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡909

$1.84 AWG 3.29

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$2.94 AWG 5.27

5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$3.76 AWG 6.73

-34.84%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,524

$4.98 AWG 8.91

-32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₡4,127

$22.28 AWG 39.88

-59.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 ₡4,275

$7.50 AWG 13.43

26.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ₡5,970

$13.41 AWG 24.00

-1.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,052

$4.97 AWG 8.89

-8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡729

$3.21 AWG 5.74

-49.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$7.28 AWG 13.04

-56.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$6.74 AWG 12.07

-54.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,346

$4.03 AWG 7.22

-26.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$2.61 AWG 4.68

4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$3.95 AWG 7.07

-74.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$3.01 AWG 5.39

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₡2,277

$10.28 AWG 18.41

-50.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 ₡7,205

$10.11 AWG 18.10

57.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,063

$3.57 AWG 6.39

-34.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$4.72 AWG 8.46

-42.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₡438

$3.08 AWG 5.52

-68.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 ₡22.5K

$93.0 AWG 166

-46.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₡855

$19.35 AWG 34.63

-90.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡879

$4.89 AWG 8.75

-60.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,513

$25.49 AWG 45.62

-69.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡683

$1.42 AWG 2.54

6.34%

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

$37.3K ₡16.9M

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

41.83%

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

$35.7K ₡16.1M

$35.9K AWG 64.3K

-0.63%

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

$86.7 ₡39.2K

$219 AWG 392

-60.44%

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

$25.28 ₡11.4K

$86.5 AWG 155

-70.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$94.7 AWG 170

-42.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.1K

$75.8 AWG 136

-23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 ₡13.2K

$38.17 AWG 68.3

-23.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 ₡4,112

$9.83 AWG 17.59

-7.43%

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

$542 ₡244.9K

$226 AWG 404

139.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.5M

$11.8K AWG 21.0K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 ₡33.3K

$63.8 AWG 114

15.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$76.9 AWG 138

-29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$128 AWG 230

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₡46.9K

$122 AWG 218

-14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.9K

$807 AWG 1,445

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₡246.3K

$596 AWG 1,067

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ₡669.5K

$1,579 AWG 2,826

-6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 ₡468.4K

$1,422 AWG 2,546

-27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₡1.1M

$2,282 AWG 4,085

5.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡724.1K

$1,720 AWG 3,079

-6.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 ₡487.7K

$2,521 AWG 4,511

-57.17%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Aruba: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $777 in Costa Rica, $541 in Aruba. Capital cities: $880 in San Jose vs $686 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $1,089 in Costa Rica, $2,420 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 44% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 49% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 122% 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 $1,424 per month in Aruba and $1,624 in Costa Rica, there's a 14% 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.