Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Aruba

Name: Aruba
Address: AW

For one person, living is cheaper in Aruba: $2,555 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United States outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Aruba
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Aruba Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Aruba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $2,555 in Aruba.

United States $2,701
Aruba $2,555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $4,283 in Aruba.

United States $3,980
Aruba $4,283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $6,010 in Aruba.

United States $5,258
Aruba $6,010

Living in the United States is roughly 6% more expensive than in Aruba on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 100% above, Aruba 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$18.58 AWG 33.24

7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$89.7 AWG 161

-9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.08 AWG 18.04

19.74%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.95 AWG 8.86

12.12%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.08 AWG 3.73

28.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.84 AWG 3.29

13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.73 AWG 10.25

4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.93 AWG 14.20

-2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.77 AWG 3.17

-40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.95 AWG 5.28

20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.34 AWG 5.98

38.92%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$4.87 AWG 8.72

-14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$12.78 AWG 22.86

-0.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$7.63 AWG 13.66

65.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$12.21 AWG 21.84

41.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.83 AWG 8.64

6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.74 AWG 4.91

-40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$6.25 AWG 11.18

-28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.19 AWG 9.28

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.39 AWG 6.07

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.01 AWG 3.59

53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.94 AWG 5.27

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.39 AWG 4.28

-5.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$10.03 AWG 17.96

5.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$10.08 AWG 18.03

45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$4.57 AWG 8.17

-54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.55 AWG 8.15

-16.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.49 AWG 4.45

-5.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$94.4 AWG 169

-32.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$19.32 AWG 34.58

-81.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.91 AWG 6.99

-52.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$22.06 AWG 39.47

36.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.39 AWG 4.27

-55.23%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

34.21%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.7K AWG 64.0K

-27.55%

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

$217 $217

$236 AWG 422

-8.18%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$85.5 AWG 153

-28.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$102 AWG 182

-26.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$78.8 AWG 141

-42.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$38.97 AWG 69.8

-40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$10.18 AWG 18.22

45.28%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$232 AWG 416

537.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$11.7K AWG 21.0K

117.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$68.5 AWG 123

-22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$76.4 AWG 137

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$126 AWG 226

-25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$121 AWG 217

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$985 AWG 1,763

70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$1,023 AWG 1,831

28.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$2,602 AWG 4,656

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$2,639 AWG 4,722

-17.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$2,271 AWG 4,064

48.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,762 AWG 3,154

50.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$2,516 AWG 4,503

75.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.25

4.80%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aruba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Aruba

$1K 40% 22.1% $290

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Aruba

$391 15.3% 4.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Aruba

$423 16.6% 20.1% $71

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Aruba

$298 11.7% 8.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Aruba

$177 6.9% 28.5% $39

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Aruba

$143 5.6% 66% $57

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Aruba

$99 3.9% 32.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $546 in Aruba. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $928 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $2,438 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 97% more in the United States.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 86% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇦🇼 Aruba

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

Same time as the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

106,739

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

AWG to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Aruba 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

United States
Aruba

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

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

At $2,555 per month in Aruba and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Aruba: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $546 in Aruba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Aruba, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.