Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $2,346 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,346

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oranjestad and in Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Oranjestad versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas.

Oranjestad $2,346
Sint Nicolaas $136

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,175 in Oranjestad versus $332 in Sint Nicolaas.

Oranjestad $4,175
Sint Nicolaas $332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Oranjestad versus $527 in Sint Nicolaas.

Oranjestad $6,004
Sint Nicolaas $527

Living in Oranjestad is roughly 1629% more expensive than in Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oranjestad is 72% above, Sint Nicolaas is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.02 AWG 39.40

$16.40 AWG 29.34

34.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 AWG 142

$45.10 AWG 80.7

75.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 AWG 18.17

Cappuccino

$4.33 AWG 7.74

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

$1.48 AWG 2.65

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 AWG 2.99

$1.14 AWG 2.03

46.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 AWG 5.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 AWG 6.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AWG 3.43

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 AWG 5.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 AWG 5.06

Eggs

$5.36 AWG 9.59

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 AWG 22.42

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 AWG 16.41

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 AWG 22.12

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 AWG 8.47

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.12

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 AWG 9.14

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 AWG 6.37

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 AWG 3.87

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 AWG 3.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 AWG 4.63

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 AWG 18.19

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 AWG 18.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 AWG 7.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 AWG 7.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 AWG 3.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 AWG 54.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 AWG 30.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.90 AWG 6.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 AWG 44.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

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

$34.9K AWG 62.5K

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

$256 AWG 458

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

$48.94 AWG 87.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 AWG 191

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 AWG 113

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 AWG 46.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 AWG 21.02

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

$252 AWG 451

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,767 AWG 15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AWG 105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 AWG 92.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 AWG 191

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AWG 188

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 AWG 1,668

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 AWG 1,731

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 AWG 4,790

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 AWG 5,408

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 AWG 4,087

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 AWG 3,059

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,690 AWG 3,024

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$967 41.3%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$412 17.5%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$366 15.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$294 12.5%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$145 6.2%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$87 3.7%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $79 in Oranjestad vs $45 in Sint Nicolaas for two.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

Same time as Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

18,000

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Oranjestad Sint Nicolaas 17 km

From you

Oranjestad
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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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,346 in Oranjestad and $136 in Sint Nicolaas, so Sint Nicolaas is about 94% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,519 in Oranjestad and $204 in Sint Nicolaas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas – a meal for two runs $45 versus $79 in Oranjestad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,346 per month in Oranjestad versus $136 in Sint Nicolaas – Sint Nicolaas is about 94% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $136 in Sint Nicolaas versus $2,346 in Oranjestad, a $800 budget is realistic in Sint Nicolaas but tight or insufficient in Oranjestad. The gap between the two cities makes Sint Nicolaas 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.

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