Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aruba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aruba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,799 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $5,039 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $7,279 in Aruba.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 21% less than in Aruba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Aruba 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$13.18 AWG 23.60

20.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$89.2 AWG 160

-27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$10.04 AWG 17.96

4.68%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.90 AWG 8.77

-41.43%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.31 AWG 4.13

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.09 AWG 3.74

-28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.19 AWG 7.50

-16.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.26 AWG 11.20

-38.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.39 AWG 4.27

-52.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.72 AWG 6.66

-52.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.92 AWG 7.02

-55.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$5.61 AWG 10.04

-42.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$32.39 AWG 58.0

-58.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.51 AWG 11.66

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$16.71 AWG 29.91

-5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.92 AWG 10.60

-60.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.92 AWG 5.23

-41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$6.95 AWG 12.44

-71.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$8.23 AWG 14.73

-70.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$4.08 AWG 7.31

-54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.76 AWG 6.74

-46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$6.09 AWG 10.90

-68.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$3.85 AWG 6.89

-79.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$17.75 AWG 31.76

-62.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$18.08 AWG 32.36

-68.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$5.07 AWG 9.07

-41.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.41 AWG 2.53

46.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

$257 AWG 460

-42.48%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$131 AWG 234

-84.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$66.5 AWG 119

-40.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$60.3 AWG 108

-20.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.87 AWG 23.03

-28.67%

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

$614 €529

$304 AWG 544

102.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$17.7K AWG 31.7K

-9.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$49.48 AWG 88.6

111.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$65.5 AWG 117

-35.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$122 AWG 219

-23.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$733 AWG 1,312

122.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,390 AWG 2,487

-9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,140 AWG 5,621

-3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$4,018 AWG 7,191

-49.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,895 AWG 3,391

-15.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-45.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aruba: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $733 in Aruba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aruba pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Aruba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $532 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Aruba differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,799 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Aruba earns 18% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $733 in Aruba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Aruba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,799 in Aruba – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,799 in Aruba, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Aruba. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Aruba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Aruba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.