Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aruba: $2,353 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index

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Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $2,353 in Aruba.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414
Aruba $2,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $4,233 in Aruba.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025
Aruba $4,233

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,636 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $6,112 in Aruba.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636
Aruba $6,112

Living in Fort Lauderdale, FL is roughly 45% more expensive than in Aruba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lauderdale, FL 151% above, Aruba 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.40 $29.40

$14.86 AWG 26.59

97.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$90.1 AWG 161

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 $14.55

$10.54 AWG 18.86

38.05%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$5.12 AWG 9.16

-0.39%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.42 AWG 4.34

23.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.27 AWG 4.06

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.29 AWG 9.48

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$7.19 AWG 12.87

-3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.66 AWG 2.97

-38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.85 AWG 5.10

76.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.00 AWG 5.37

25.00%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.75 AWG 6.71

30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$14.27 AWG 25.53

20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$4.15 AWG 7.44

148.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 $26.42

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.05 AWG 3.67

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.53 AWG 4.53

-18.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.38 AWG 4.27

-57.14%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

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

$26.6K $26.6K

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

$212 $212

$233 AWG 417

-9.11%

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

$64.8 $64.8

$132 AWG 236

-50.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$85.2 AWG 152

-5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.34 $14.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

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

$1,026 $1,026

$296 AWG 529

247.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$18.1K AWG 32.4K

127.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$64.5 AWG 115

-35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$118 AWG 212

-26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 $2,687

$653 AWG 1,169

311.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,391 AWG 2,490

36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,985 $4,985

$3,255 AWG 5,826

53.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$3,978 AWG 7,119

-20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,795 $5,795

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,254 $4,254

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,757 $4,757

$1,938 AWG 3,468

145.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

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

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aruba: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5%

Aruba

–

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4%

Aruba

–

Eating Out

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9%

Aruba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5%

Aruba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9%

Aruba

–

Getting Around

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7%

Aruba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3%

Aruba

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $653 in Aruba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lauderdale, FL pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $90 in Aruba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $148 per month, with Aruba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇦🇼 Aruba

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

Same time as Fort Lauderdale, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,521

15,236

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.502 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 AWG (1 AWG = 0.502 EUR).

AWG to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Lauderdale, FL Aruba 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lauderdale, FL
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

Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lauderdale, FL and Aruba differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($3,414 vs $2,353 including rent). Aruba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Fort Lauderdale, FL is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $653 in Aruba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 208% higher in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,414 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $2,353 in Aruba – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,353 in Aruba versus $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Aruba but tight or insufficient in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Aruba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Aruba wins on affordability, Fort Lauderdale, FL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.