Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Aruba Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Mexico versus $1,070 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,791 in Mexico versus $1,775 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,461 in Mexico versus $2,479 in Aruba.

Living in Mexico is roughly 5% more expensive than Aruba on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Aruba 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$182

$15.56 AWG 27.85

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 MX$725

$91.8 AWG 164

-54.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 MX$136

$9.86 AWG 17.65

-20.49%

Cappuccino

$3.42 MX$59.2

$4.32 AWG 7.73

-20.83%

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

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.86 AWG 3.33

-29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.98

$1.69 AWG 3.03

-42.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.81

$3.57 AWG 6.38

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$5.19 AWG 9.29

-17.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.84 AWG 3.29

-17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$45.95

$3.01 AWG 5.38

-11.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.46

$3.75 AWG 6.71

-54.67%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$40.66

$4.91 AWG 8.80

-52.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$145

$22.57 AWG 40.39

-62.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$131

$7.32 AWG 13.11

3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 MX$187

$13.23 AWG 23.67

-18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$47.13

$5.13 AWG 9.18

-46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$3.19 AWG 5.70

-52.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.26

$7.01 AWG 12.54

-72.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.14

$6.60 AWG 11.80

-72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.07

$4.01 AWG 7.17

-49.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.49

$2.51 AWG 4.49

-20.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.71

$4.09 AWG 7.32

-67.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$2.90 AWG 5.18

-63.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$73.7

$10.41 AWG 18.64

-59.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$200

$9.96 AWG 17.82

16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.25

$3.44 AWG 6.16

-54.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MX$52.3

$4.82 AWG 8.62

-37.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.48

$3.06 AWG 5.47

-80.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$455

$94.2 AWG 169

-72.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.54

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-86.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MX$33.37

$5.10 AWG 9.12

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 MX$184

$24.96 AWG 44.67

-57.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.46 AWG 2.61

-9.59%

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

$20.1K MX$346.9K

$25.9K AWG 46.3K

-22.55%

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

$23.4K MX$405.5K

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

-32.52%

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

$62.4 MX$1,080

$220 AWG 393

-71.61%

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

$23.27 MX$403

$86.0 AWG 154

-72.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 MX$494

$96.0 AWG 172

-70.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.68 MX$600

$74.3 AWG 133

-53.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 MX$323

$38.47 AWG 68.8

-51.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 MX$81.1

$10.16 AWG 18.19

-53.84%

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

$249 MX$4,308

$229 AWG 410

8.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,774 MX$99.9K

$11.7K AWG 20.9K

-50.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$904

$62.2 AWG 111

-15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 MX$697

$75.9 AWG 136

-46.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,609

$127 AWG 227

-26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,515

$122 AWG 218

-28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$11.1K

$811 AWG 1,452

-21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MX$7,743

$579 AWG 1,037

-22.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 MX$21.2K

$1,556 AWG 2,784

-21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 MX$15.0K

$1,441 AWG 2,578

-39.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$45.5K

$2,233 AWG 3,996

17.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,563 MX$27.0K

$1,757 AWG 3,145

-11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 MX$14.3K

$2,469 AWG 4,419

-66.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Last update for Aruba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $537 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,022 in Mexico City vs $670 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $772 in Mexico, $2,419 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 11% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 118% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 213% 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

Mexico vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,400 per month in Aruba and $1,542 in Mexico, there's a 10% 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 Mexico 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 Mexico, 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; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.