Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Oranjestad

For one person, living is cheaper in Oranjestad: $2,327 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver 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 Vancouver and in Oranjestad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $2,327 in Oranjestad.

Vancouver $2,684
Oranjestad $2,327

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $4,208 in Oranjestad.

Vancouver $3,878
Oranjestad $4,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $6,089 in Oranjestad.

Vancouver $5,072
Oranjestad $6,089

Living in Vancouver is roughly 15% more expensive than in Oranjestad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Oranjestad 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$22.18 AWG 39.71

-22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$79.3 AWG 142

-13.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$10.14 AWG 18.16

4.14%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$4.29 AWG 7.68

-9.32%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$1.41 AWG 2.52

45.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.66 AWG 2.97

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$2.92 AWG 5.24

89.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$4.10 AWG 7.33

54.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.84 AWG 3.30

25.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$2.93 AWG 5.24

-14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$2.91 AWG 5.21

52.58%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$5.40 AWG 9.66

-24.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$12.62 AWG 22.59

-10.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$9.22 AWG 16.50

45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$12.03 AWG 21.54

67.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$4.68 AWG 8.37

-13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$2.31 AWG 4.13

-42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$5.11 AWG 9.15

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$3.56 AWG 6.38

13.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.19 AWG 3.91

24.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$2.05 AWG 3.67

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.67 AWG 4.78

-5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.59 AWG 2.84

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$9.91 AWG 17.75

57.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$9.70 AWG 17.36

44.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$3.95 AWG 7.07

-31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$4.33 AWG 7.74

-30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.14 AWG 3.83

14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$30.14 AWG 54.0

176.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$16.86 AWG 30.18

-83.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$3.83 AWG 6.86

-59.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$24.95 AWG 44.67

25.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$2.04 AWG 3.65

-32.35%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$25.9K AWG 46.4K

8.33%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

-42.94%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$252 AWG 451

-67.79%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$48.35 AWG 86.6

-22.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$104 AWG 187

-50.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$62.3 AWG 111

-30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$26.38 AWG 47.22

-52.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$12.02 AWG 21.52

4.33%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$254 AWG 455

330.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$8,657 AWG 15.5K

130.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$59.1 AWG 106

-3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$51.3 AWG 91.9

-36.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$109 AWG 195

-14.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$104 AWG 186

-9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$935 AWG 1,673

86.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$936 AWG 1,676

58.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,703 AWG 4,839

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$3,031 AWG 5,426

-20.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,210 AWG 3,956

262.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$1,744 AWG 3,121

270.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$1,706 AWG 3,053

122.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.25

-31.52%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Oranjestad

$936 40.6% 36.9% $547

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Oranjestad

$365 15.8% 8.5% $34

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Oranjestad

$294 12.8% 8.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Oranjestad

$405 17.5% 138% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Oranjestad

$145 6.3% 16.8% $21

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Oranjestad

$75 3.2% 27.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Oranjestad

$86 3.7% 25.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $935 in Oranjestad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 123% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $79.0 in Oranjestad. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $365, with Oranjestad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

35,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Oranjestad 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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

Vancouver vs Oranjestad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Oranjestad differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $2,327 including rent). Oranjestad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $935 in Oranjestad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Oranjestad runs roughly 177% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver versus $254 in Oranjestad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,327 in Oranjestad versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oranjestad but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Oranjestad 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, Vancouver and Oranjestad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oranjestad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.