Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aruba: $2,337 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Aruba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,337 in Aruba.

New York, NY $4,906
Aruba $2,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,224 in Aruba.

New York, NY $7,273
Aruba $4,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $6,112 in Aruba.

New York, NY $9,641
Aruba $6,112

Living in New York, NY is roughly 110% more expensive than in Aruba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Aruba 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$10.93 AWG 19.56

146.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$91.7 AWG 164

27.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.64 AWG 19.04

37.22%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.13 AWG 9.17

27.49%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.36 AWG 4.22

63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.42 AWG 6.13

-13.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.27 AWG 9.43

53.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.86 AWG 12.27

43.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.64 AWG 2.93

-20.12%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.85 AWG 5.11

74.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$3.03 AWG 5.43

154.13%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.88 AWG 6.95

56.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$14.16 AWG 25.35

38.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$4.07 AWG 7.29

332.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.05 AWG 3.66

7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.51 AWG 4.49

20.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.40 AWG 4.29

-52.92%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

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

$25.8K $25.8K

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

$232 $232

$242 AWG 434

-4.11%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$134 AWG 239

-46.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$84.9 AWG 152

-20.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

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

$3,606 $3,606

$302 AWG 541

1092.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$17.8K AWG 31.8K

286.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$65.2 AWG 117

-21.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$122 AWG 218

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$659 AWG 1,179

591.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,389 AWG 2,487

118.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,139 AWG 5,618

210.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$4,017 AWG 7,189

32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$1,905 AWG 3,409

167.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aruba: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Aruba

–

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Aruba

–

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Aruba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Aruba

–

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Aruba

–

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Aruba

–

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Aruba

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $659 in Aruba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $92 in Aruba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $148 per month, with Aruba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇦🇼 Aruba

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

15,236

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

AWG to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Aruba 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,337 in Aruba, so Aruba is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in New York, NY is about 2.7 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $659 in Aruba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 284% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,906 per month in New York, NY versus $2,337 in Aruba – Aruba is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,337 in Aruba versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Aruba but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.