Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,346 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,346

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oranjestad and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oranjestad and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Oranjestad versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Oranjestad $2,346
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,175 in Oranjestad versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Oranjestad $4,175
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Oranjestad versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Oranjestad $6,004
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Oranjestad is roughly 46% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oranjestad 72% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.02 AWG 39.40

$10.62 MX$200

107.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 AWG 142

$48.35 MX$909

64.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 AWG 18.17

$10.35 MX$194

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$4.33 AWG 7.74

$3.69 MX$69.4

17.34%

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

$1.48 AWG 2.65

$1.67 MX$31.32

-11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 AWG 2.99

$1.27 MX$23.78

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 AWG 5.32

$3.19 MX$60.0

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 AWG 6.99

$5.31 MX$99.7

-26.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AWG 3.43

$1.72 MX$32.41

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 AWG 5.17

$3.04 MX$57.1

-4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 AWG 5.06

$1.94 MX$36.48

45.88%

Eggs

$5.36 AWG 9.59

$2.89 MX$54.3

85.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 AWG 22.42

$10.97 MX$206

14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 AWG 16.41

$9.25 MX$174

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 AWG 22.12

$15.13 MX$284

-18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 AWG 8.47

$3.05 MX$57.3

55.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.12

$1.94 MX$36.48

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 AWG 9.14

$2.03 MX$38.06

151.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 AWG 6.37

$2.31 MX$43.50

54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 AWG 3.87

$2.04 MX$38.25

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 AWG 3.63

$1.80 MX$33.83

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 AWG 4.63

$1.48 MX$27.80

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.84

$1.27 MX$23.82

25.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 AWG 18.19

$5.30 MX$99.7

91.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 AWG 18.24

$16.10 MX$303

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 AWG 7.08

$1.98 MX$37.27

99.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 AWG 7.90

$4.25 MX$79.9

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 AWG 3.83

$0.31 MX$5.73

590.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 AWG 54.8

$19.73 MX$371

55.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 AWG 30.00

$1.84 MX$34.53

810.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.90 AWG 6.98

$0.53 MX$10.03

635.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 AWG 44.20

$5.30 MX$99.5

366.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

$1.51 MX$28.39

35.76%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

21.08%

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

$34.9K AWG 62.5K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

45.63%

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

$256 AWG 458

$63.0 MX$1,184

306.29%

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

$48.94 AWG 87.6

$27.39 MX$515

78.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 AWG 191

$35.67 MX$670

199.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 AWG 113

$58.9 MX$1,108

7.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 AWG 46.32

$23.64 MX$444

9.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 AWG 21.02

$6.40 MX$120

83.59%

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

$252 AWG 451

$432 MX$8,111

-41.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,767 AWG 15.7K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-23.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AWG 105

$68.2 MX$1,282

-13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 AWG 92.0

$53.1 MX$999

-3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 AWG 191

$108 MX$2,026

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AWG 188

$117 MX$2,204

-10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 AWG 1,668

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 AWG 1,731

$710 MX$13.4K

36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 AWG 4,790

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 AWG 5,408

$1,406 MX$26.4K

114.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 AWG 4,087

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-37.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 AWG 3,059

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-19.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,690 AWG 3,024

$946 MX$17.8K

78.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.35

-44.93%

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

Last update for Oranjestad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$967 41.3%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 26.6% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$412 17.5%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 69.4% $286

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$366 15.6%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 12.7% $46

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$294 12.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 32.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$145 6.2%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 7.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$87 3.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 17.4% $15

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 66.3% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Oranjestad and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oranjestad pays 79% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Oranjestad vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

22:43 10:43 PM

2 h behind Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oranjestad Mexico City 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Oranjestad
Mexico City

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

Oranjestad vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,346 in Oranjestad and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Oranjestad, 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: $932 in Oranjestad versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 36% less than in Oranjestad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $252 in Oranjestad versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 – Mexico City wins on affordability, Oranjestad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.