For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,804 a month against $2,555 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Italy and in Aruba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Italy versus $2,555 in Aruba.
Italy $1,804
Aruba $2,555
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Italy versus $4,283 in Aruba.
Italy $2,778
Aruba $4,283
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,752 in Italy versus $6,010 in Aruba.
Italy $3,752
Aruba $6,010
🌍
Living in Italy costs about 29% less than in Aruba on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 34% above, Aruba 89% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.89€17.70
$18.58AWG 33.24
7.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.0€68.5
$89.7AWG 161
-14.20%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.00€9.78
$10.08AWG 18.04
9.13%
Cappuccino
$1.99€1.77
$4.95AWG 8.86
-59.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96€2.63
$2.08AWG 3.73
42.31%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41€1.25
$1.84AWG 3.29
-23.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.60€4.98
$5.73AWG 10.25
-2.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67€5.05
$7.93AWG 14.20
-28.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.61€1.43
$1.77AWG 3.17
-9.04%
White Bread(500g)
$2.30€2.05
$2.95AWG 5.28
-22.03%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.99€2.66
$3.34AWG 5.98
-10.48%
Eggs
$4.06€3.61
$4.87AWG 8.72
-16.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.23€15.33
$12.78AWG 22.86
34.82%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.68€11.28
$7.63AWG 13.66
66.19%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.36€18.11
$12.21AWG 21.84
66.75%
Apples(1kg)
$2.54€2.26
$4.83AWG 8.64
-47.41%
Banana(1kg)
$2.15€1.91
$2.74AWG 4.91
-21.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.56€2.28
$6.25AWG 11.18
-59.04%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.22€2.86
$5.19AWG 9.28
-37.96%
Potato(1kg)
$1.92€1.70
$3.39AWG 6.07
-43.36%
Onion(1kg)
$1.84€1.64
$2.01AWG 3.59
-8.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.51€1.34
$2.94AWG 5.27
-48.64%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$2.39AWG 4.28
-76.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.81€6.06
$10.03AWG 17.96
-32.10%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.03€7.15
$10.08AWG 18.03
-20.34%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72€1.53
$4.57AWG 8.17
-62.36%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37€2.11
$4.55AWG 8.15
-47.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Aruba
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.88€1.67
$2.49AWG 4.45
-24.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.31€38.52
$94.4AWG 169
-54.11%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.57€4.95
$19.32AWG 34.58
-71.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.63€1.45
$3.91AWG 6.99
-58.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.78€30.04
$22.06AWG 39.47
53.13%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.04€1.81
$2.39AWG 4.27
-14.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K€31.7K
$26.3KAWG 47.1K
35.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K€31.5K
$35.7KAWG 64.0K
-1.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$222€198
$236AWG 422
-5.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.43€10.17
$85.5AWG 153
-86.63%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.65€27.26
$102AWG 182
-69.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.7€46.89
$78.8AWG 141
-33.11%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.82€21.19
$38.97AWG 69.8
-38.88%
Cinema Ticket
$10.51€9.35
$10.18AWG 18.22
3.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$541€481
$232AWG 416
133.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.7K€10.4K
$11.7KAWG 21.0K
0.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.0€80.0
$68.5AWG 123
31.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.08€34.76
$76.4AWG 137
-48.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101€90.2
$126AWG 226
-19.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132€117
$121AWG 217
9.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Aruba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$805€716
$985AWG 1,763
-18.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$619€550
$1,023AWG 1,831
-39.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,388€1,235
$2,602AWG 4,656
-46.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,050€934
$2,639AWG 4,722
-60.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,623€3,223
$2,271AWG 4,064
59.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,229€1,983
$1,762AWG 3,154
26.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Aruba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,889€1,680
$2,516AWG 4,503
-24.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
6.25
-43.04%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 11, 2026
Last update for Aruba: October 10, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$619 34.3%
Aruba
$1K 40% ↑ 65.3%$404
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$347 19.2%
Aruba
$391 15.3% ↑ 12.9%$45
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$273 15.1%
Aruba
$298 11.7% ↑ 9.4%$26
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$265 14.7%
Aruba
$423 16.6% ↑ 60%$159
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 9%
Aruba
$177 6.9% ↑ 8.3%$13
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$74 4.1%
Aruba
$99 3.9% ↑ 34.5%$25
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.6%
Aruba
$143 5.6% ↑ 122%$79
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1K 28%
Aruba
$2.6K 43.9% ↑ 151%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$821 21.9%
Aruba
$888 14.8% ↑ 8.2%$67
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$939 25%
Aruba
$1.1K 17.5% ↑ 12.1%$114
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$276 7.4%
Aruba
$509 8.5% ↑ 84.4%$233
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$362 9.7%
Aruba
$392 6.5% ↑ 8.3%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$171 4.6%
Aruba
$237 4% ↑ 38.6%$66
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$133 3.5%
Aruba
$291 4.9% ↑ 119%$158
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $721 in Italy, $546 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,222 in Rome vs $928 in Oranjestad.
💰National salary averages: $1,888 in Italy, $2,438 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
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
Italy vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Aruba and Italy?
At $2,555 per month in Aruba and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 42% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Italy is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Aruba or in Italy?
In Italy, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Aruba it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Aruba or to Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Italy wins on affordability; Aruba may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.