Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Aruba Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in United States versus $1,070 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,775 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $2,479 in Aruba.

Living in United States is roughly 147% more expensive than Aruba on average.

United States (97% above) and Aruba (20% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$15.56 AWG 27.85

28.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$91.8 AWG 164

-17.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$9.86 AWG 17.65

15.82%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.32 AWG 7.73

24.77%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.86 AWG 3.33

37.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.69 AWG 3.03

20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.57 AWG 6.38

71.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$5.19 AWG 9.29

38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.84 AWG 3.29

-43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.01 AWG 5.38

21.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.75 AWG 6.71

26.13%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$4.91 AWG 8.80

-10.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$22.57 AWG 40.39

-43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.32 AWG 13.11

69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$13.23 AWG 23.67

24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$5.13 AWG 9.18

5.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.19 AWG 5.70

-48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$7.01 AWG 12.54

-34.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$6.60 AWG 11.80

-25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.01 AWG 7.17

-27.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.51 AWG 4.49

24.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.09 AWG 7.32

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.90 AWG 5.18

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.41 AWG 18.64

-5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$9.96 AWG 17.82

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.44 AWG 6.16

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.82 AWG 8.62

-24.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.06 AWG 5.47

-18.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$94.2 AWG 169

-31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-80.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$5.10 AWG 9.12

-65.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$24.96 AWG 44.67

22.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.46 AWG 2.61

-34.25%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$25.9K AWG 46.3K

17.71%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

-24.07%

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

$204 $204

$220 AWG 393

-7.14%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$86.0 AWG 154

-33.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$96.0 AWG 172

-25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$74.3 AWG 133

-37.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$38.47 AWG 68.8

-42.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$10.16 AWG 18.19

36.22%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$229 AWG 410

503.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$11.7K AWG 20.9K

94.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$62.2 AWG 111

-14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$75.9 AWG 136

-43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$127 AWG 227

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$122 AWG 218

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$811 AWG 1,452

117.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$579 AWG 1,037

151.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$1,556 AWG 2,784

82.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$1,441 AWG 2,578

67.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$2,233 AWG 3,996

47.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,757 AWG 3,145

50.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$2,469 AWG 4,419

77.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.5

0.15%

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Aruba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $537 in Aruba. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $670 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $2,419 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 205% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 109% more in United States.

Salaries are 86% higher in United States, giving Aruba stronger purchasing power.

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

United States vs Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,400 per month in Aruba and $3,212 in United States, there's a 130% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Aruba is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States beats Aruba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Aruba, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In United States, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Aruba wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.