Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Santa Cruz, Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,886 a month against $2,311 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oranjestad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,311

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oranjestad and in Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Oranjestad versus $1,886 in Santa Cruz.

Oranjestad $2,311
Santa Cruz $1,886

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Oranjestad versus $2,900 in Santa Cruz.

Oranjestad $4,184
Santa Cruz $2,900

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,058 in Oranjestad versus $3,914 in Santa Cruz.

Oranjestad $6,058
Santa Cruz $3,914

Living in Oranjestad is roughly 23% more expensive than in Santa Cruz.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oranjestad 71% above, Santa Cruz 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 AWG 39.59

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 AWG 142

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 AWG 18.67

Cappuccino

$4.43 AWG 7.93

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

$1.46 AWG 2.62

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 AWG 5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 AWG 7.12

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 AWG 3.35

$2.20 AWG 3.94

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 AWG 5.27

$2.64 AWG 4.73

11.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 AWG 5.03

$4.42 AWG 7.91

-36.43%

Eggs

$5.21 AWG 9.33

$4.78 AWG 8.55

9.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 AWG 22.40

$8.14 AWG 14.57

53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 AWG 16.76

$7.69 AWG 13.77

21.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 AWG 21.85

$6.75 AWG 12.08

80.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 AWG 8.22

$4.52 AWG 8.08

1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.12

$4.57 AWG 8.17

-49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.02 AWG 8.98

$8.12 AWG 14.54

-38.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 AWG 6.21

$6.87 AWG 12.29

-49.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 AWG 3.89

$6.70 AWG 11.99

-67.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.66

$1.89 AWG 3.39

8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 AWG 4.59

$3.00 AWG 5.37

-14.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 AWG 2.75

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-66.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 AWG 18.02

$10.34 AWG 18.51

-2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 AWG 18.09

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 AWG 7.29

$2.55 AWG 4.56

59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 AWG 7.79

$3.09 AWG 5.54

40.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AWG 4.00

$1.96 AWG 3.50

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.50 AWG 52.8

$154 AWG 276

-80.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 AWG 30.49

$19.32 AWG 34.57

-11.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 AWG 7.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 AWG 44.81

$19.75 AWG 35.34

26.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 AWG 3.51

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

$25.6K AWG 45.8K

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

$34.8K AWG 62.2K

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

$254 AWG 455

$141 AWG 252

80.93%

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

$48.18 AWG 86.2

$71.3 AWG 128

-32.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AWG 185

$207 AWG 371

-49.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 AWG 113

$68.5 AWG 123

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.68 AWG 45.96

$46.44 AWG 83.1

-44.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 AWG 21.57

$8.39 AWG 15.02

43.62%

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

$254 AWG 455

$141 AWG 252

80.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,669 AWG 15.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AWG 106

$78.8 AWG 141

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 AWG 91.6

$110 AWG 197

-53.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AWG 195

$140 AWG 251

-22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 AWG 186

$137 AWG 245

-23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 AWG 1,664

$1,268 AWG 2,270

-26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 AWG 1,676

$557 AWG 998

67.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 AWG 4,852

$1,534 AWG 2,746

76.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 AWG 5,515

$1,407 AWG 2,519

118.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,276 AWG 4,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,699 AWG 3,041

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 AWG 3,069

$3,667 AWG 6,564

-53.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

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

Last update for Oranjestad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$936 40.5%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$406 17.6%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$364 15.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$297 12.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$146 6.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$87 3.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Oranjestad and $1,268 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

Same time as Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

15,236

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Oranjestad Santa Cruz 6 km

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Oranjestad
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,311 in Oranjestad and $1,886 in Santa Cruz, so Santa Cruz is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Oranjestad. 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: $930 in Oranjestad versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Oranjestad pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,311 per month in Oranjestad versus $1,886 in Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Santa Cruz 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.

Safety-wise, Oranjestad and Santa Cruz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.