Overall, Aruba is expensive. Being an island in the Caribbean it's easy to spend a ton of cash on expensive resorts, flashy dinners, and high-cost cocktails.
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Aruba is often called the shopping paradise of the Caribbean and for good reason! Aruba is a virtual nirvana for shoppers, with a greater selection of international brand name products than anywhere else in the Caribbean or South America, and prices that are 10% - 35% lower than in the United States!
When it comes to affordability, both islands are expensive, as are most in the Caribbean. But, Aruba is cheaper than the Bahamas. The Bahamas has a higher cost of living, compared to living in Aruba, which applies to everything – lodging, restaurants, and entertainment.
You can always decide to leave a tip for your server in addition to the service charge to show your appreciation to that individual. If your bartender always has your drink waiting or the housekeeping does a great job keeping your room tidy and clean, you might want to give them a tip. Rates in Aruba taxis are fixed.
Arm Yourself with Small Bills -- Bring a bundle of small bills (if your currency is American dollars) to make for easy tipping and small purchases. There's no need to bring large sums of cash, unless you're planning to make big purchases and prefer not to use a credit card.
Shopping in Aruba is known for a variety of products and goods. Shoppers often visit Aruba for its shops devoted to jewelry, perfumes, leather goods, designer fashion, electronics, locally made crafts, Cuban cigars, Dutch licorice, Dutch Cheese, and much more!
Generally, bottled water in Aruba can be slightly more expensive than in other countries due to the island's remote location and import costs. However, the price of bottled water is still affordable for most visitors.
Almost all of the food must be shipped in to Aruba so you're paying for transportation costs for the food to get to the island. Aruba is a desert island (looks similar to Arizona) so very little can be grown on the island (same with livestock.)
Dress shorts are appropriate at most restaurants on the island as well. At our own restaurant at the beach, we describe our dress code as “casual elegance” in the evening. In casinos, casual clothes are the norm. Do keep in mind that the air-conditioning tends to be kept cold inside casinos.