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: $2,622 in United States versus $1,066 in Aruba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,830 in Aruba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,038 in United States versus $2,593 in Aruba.

Living in United States is roughly 146% more expensive than in Aruba on average.

United States (91% above) and Aruba (22% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$18.60 AWG 33.30

6.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$89.0 AWG 159

-8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$10.16 AWG 18.19

19.19%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$4.93 AWG 8.82

10.34%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.14 AWG 3.83

24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.81 AWG 3.23

14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.49 AWG 9.82

10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$7.88 AWG 14.10

3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.79 AWG 3.20

-41.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.00 AWG 5.37

21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.38 AWG 6.05

31.66%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$5.03 AWG 9.00

-13.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$12.68 AWG 22.71

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$7.50 AWG 13.42

66.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$12.03 AWG 21.53

40.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.68 AWG 8.37

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.84 AWG 5.09

-40.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$6.33 AWG 11.33

-30.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.05 AWG 9.04

-0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.43 AWG 6.14

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.93 AWG 3.45

62.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.82 AWG 5.05

-17.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.43 AWG 4.35

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$10.14 AWG 18.15

4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$9.85 AWG 17.64

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.52 AWG 8.10

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.56 AWG 8.16

-19.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.44 AWG 4.36

-2.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

$91.5 AWG 164

-28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$19.21 AWG 34.38

-82.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.79 AWG 6.79

-50.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 $30.16

$21.81 AWG 39.03

38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.19 AWG 3.92

-55.25%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.2K AWG 46.9K

37.10%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.3K AWG 63.2K

-26.56%

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

$218 $218

$232 AWG 416

-6.37%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$85.7 AWG 153

-28.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.8 $74.8

$99.0 AWG 177

-24.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.42 $44.42

$77.5 AWG 139

-42.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 $22.53

$39.38 AWG 70.5

-42.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$10.07 AWG 18.02

46.97%

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

$1,476 $1,476

$228 AWG 408

547.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$11.8K AWG 21.1K

119.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$69.6 AWG 125

-21.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 $43.59

$76.5 AWG 137

-43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 $92.9

$127 AWG 227

-26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$122 AWG 219

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$1,009 AWG 1,807

62.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$996 AWG 1,784

36.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$2,632 AWG 4,711

2.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$2,622 AWG 4,694

-16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$2,285 AWG 4,090

43.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,723 AWG 3,085

50.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 $4,357

$2,481 AWG 4,440

75.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

6.25

-0.64%

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

Last update for United States: August 30, 2026

Last update for Aruba: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,606 in United States, $545 in Aruba. Capital cities: $1,373 in Columbia, TN vs $922 in Oranjestad.

National salary averages: $4,519 in United States, $2,417 in Aruba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 97% more in United States.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 87% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Aruba.

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 $1,164 per month in Aruba and $3,080 in United States, there's a 165% 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 simply cheaper in Aruba: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.