Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Aruba and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $138 a month against $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz and in Sint Nicolaas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,886 in Santa Cruz versus $138 in Sint Nicolaas.

Santa Cruz $1,886
Sint Nicolaas $138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,900 in Santa Cruz versus $332 in Sint Nicolaas.

Santa Cruz $2,900
Sint Nicolaas $332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,914 in Santa Cruz versus $526 in Sint Nicolaas.

Santa Cruz $3,914
Sint Nicolaas $526

Living in Santa Cruz is roughly 1268% more expensive than in Sint Nicolaas.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 40% above, Sint Nicolaas is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 AWG 29.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.78 AWG 78.4

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 AWG 1.93

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 AWG 3.94

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 AWG 4.73

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 AWG 7.91

Eggs

$4.78 AWG 8.55

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 AWG 14.57

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 AWG 13.77

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 AWG 12.08

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 AWG 8.08

Banana (1kg)

$4.57 AWG 8.17

Oranges (1kg)

$8.12 AWG 14.54

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 AWG 12.29

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 AWG 11.99

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 AWG 3.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 AWG 8.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 AWG 18.51

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 AWG 35.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 AWG 4.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 AWG 5.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 AWG 3.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 AWG 276

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.32 AWG 34.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 AWG 35.34

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

$141 AWG 252

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

$71.3 AWG 128

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$207 AWG 371

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 AWG 123

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.44 AWG 83.1

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 AWG 15.02

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

$141 AWG 252

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 AWG 141

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$110 AWG 197

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 AWG 251

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 AWG 245

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 AWG 2,270

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 AWG 998

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 AWG 2,746

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 AWG 2,519

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,667 AWG 6,564

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: November 2, 2026

Good to know

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

18,000

💱 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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Santa Cruz Sint Nicolaas 11 km

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Santa Cruz
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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

Santa Cruz vs Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,886 in Santa Cruz and $138 in Sint Nicolaas, so Sint Nicolaas is about 93% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,829 in Santa Cruz and $207 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.

At $138 in Sint Nicolaas versus $1,886 in Santa Cruz, a $800 budget is realistic in Sint Nicolaas but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz. 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, Santa Cruz and Sint Nicolaas are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.