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 $1,082 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in Mexico versus $1,780 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,441 in Mexico versus $2,478 in Aruba.

Living in Mexico is roughly 4% more expensive than in Aruba on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Aruba 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$184

$15.63 AWG 27.96

-32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$734

$89.9 AWG 161

-53.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$9.98 AWG 17.86

-21.54%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$59.2

$4.28 AWG 7.66

-21.26%

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

$1.34 MX$23.46

$1.87 AWG 3.35

-28.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.25

$1.72 AWG 3.08

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.92

$3.57 AWG 6.39

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$72.4

$5.08 AWG 9.09

-18.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.44

$1.90 AWG 3.40

-20.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$45.15

$3.02 AWG 5.40

-14.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.23

$3.76 AWG 6.73

-52.66%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.52

$4.98 AWG 8.91

-52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$151

$22.50 AWG 40.26

-61.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$132

$7.43 AWG 13.30

1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$13.38 AWG 23.95

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.29

$5.26 AWG 9.40

-47.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.59

$3.12 AWG 5.58

-53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.62

$7.25 AWG 12.97

-74.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.55

$6.44 AWG 11.52

-72.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.77

$3.95 AWG 7.07

-51.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$36.04

$2.60 AWG 4.65

-21.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.21

$4.06 AWG 7.26

-68.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.28

$2.88 AWG 5.16

-63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MX$76.4

$10.11 AWG 18.10

-56.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$201

$9.82 AWG 17.58

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.90

$3.44 AWG 6.15

-52.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$4.73 AWG 8.47

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.29

$2.96 AWG 5.30

-78.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 MX$460

$91.2 AWG 163

-71.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$47.16

$19.26 AWG 34.46

-86.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$34.94

$5.04 AWG 9.01

-60.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$187

$24.78 AWG 44.35

-56.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.36

$1.45 AWG 2.60

-12.41%

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

$20.4K MX$357.0K

$25.9K AWG 46.4K

-21.50%

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

$23.3K MX$409.5K

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

-32.81%

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

$63.3 MX$1,111

$222 AWG 397

-71.44%

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

$23.40 MX$410

$85.3 AWG 153

-72.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$492

$95.2 AWG 170

-70.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MX$618

$76.9 AWG 138

-54.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 MX$325

$39.17 AWG 70.1

-52.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$85.2

$10.08 AWG 18.04

-51.79%

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

$247 MX$4,329

$226 AWG 404

9.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,786 MX$101.5K

$11.5K AWG 20.6K

-49.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$905

$63.7 AWG 114

-18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MX$726

$75.9 AWG 136

-45.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 MX$1,656

$126 AWG 226

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 MX$1,549

$120 AWG 215

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$807 AWG 1,444

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,992

$584 AWG 1,044

-21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.9K

$1,593 AWG 2,851

-21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 MX$15.0K

$1,473 AWG 2,636

-42.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.5K

$2,264 AWG 4,052

14.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,536 MX$26.9K

$1,766 AWG 3,161

-13.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 MX$14.1K

$2,531 AWG 4,529

-68.17%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aruba: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $543 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,003 in Mexico City vs $684 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $761 in Mexico, $2,403 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 109% more expensive in Aruba.

Salaries are 216% higher in Aruba, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Aruba.

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 $1,437 per month in Aruba and $1,524 in Mexico, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Aruba: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.