Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Nicolaas and Oranjestad

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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Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Sint Nicolaas $136
Oranjestad $2,346

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

Sint Nicolaas $332
Oranjestad $4,175

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

Sint Nicolaas $527
Oranjestad $6,004

Living in Sint Nicolaas costs roughly 94% less than in Oranjestad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.40 AWG 29.34

$22.02 AWG 39.40

-25.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.10 AWG 80.7

$79.3 AWG 142

-43.13%

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)

$1.14 AWG 2.03

$1.67 AWG 2.99

-31.74%

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 Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$967 41.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$412 17.5%

Groceries & Markets

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$366 15.6%

Eating Out

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$294 12.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$145 6.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$87 3.7%

Getting Around

Sint Nicolaas

–

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

Same time as Sint Nicolaas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,000

35,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.501 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sint Nicolaas Oranjestad 17 km

From you

Sint Nicolaas
Oranjestad

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

Sint Nicolaas vs Oranjestad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $204 in Sint Nicolaas and $3,519 in Oranjestad 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 $136 per month in Sint Nicolaas versus $2,346 in Oranjestad – 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, Sint Nicolaas and Oranjestad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.