Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguada and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguada: $1,184 a month against $2,253 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Aguada
Learn more

Aguada Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
Learn more

San Juan Living Index

Jump to prices

Aguada

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,184

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguada and in San Juan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,184 in Aguada versus $2,253 in San Juan.

Aguada $1,184
San Juan $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Aguada versus $3,373 in San Juan.

Aguada $1,222
San Juan $3,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,261 in Aguada versus $4,494 in San Juan.

Aguada $1,261
San Juan $4,494

Living in Aguada costs roughly 47% less than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguada is 12% below, San Juan is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 $10.88

$19.43 $19.43

-44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 $82.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$9.43 $9.43

26.62%

Cappuccino

$2.02 $2.02

$3.56 $3.56

-43.26%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$1.83 $1.83

12.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.45 $1.45

-30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.04 $3.04

-49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$5.13 $5.13

-41.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.19 $2.19

-17.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.69 $3.69

-30.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$7.33 $7.33

-42.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 $3.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 $0.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.97 $29.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.24 $1.24

-30.65%

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

$40.3K $40.3K

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

$27.7K $27.7K

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

$256 $256

$327 $327

-21.61%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$68.4 $68.4

-13.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 $54.8

$41.46 $41.46

32.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.70 $7.70

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 $5.98

$10.40 $10.40

-42.50%

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

$502 $502

$821 $821

-38.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.61 $34.61

$56.1 $56.1

-38.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 $39.65

$61.4 $61.4

-35.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$109 $109

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$116 $116

-13.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 $506

$1,802 $1,802

-71.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$846 $846

-46.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,283 $7,283

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,377 $3,377

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,214 $2,214

$2,704 $2,704

-18.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Aguada: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aguada

$454 38.3%

San Juan

$846 37.6% 86.5% $392

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aguada

$315 * 26.6%

San Juan

$466 20.7% 47.7% $151

Eating Out

Aguada

$173 14.6%

San Juan

$265 11.8% 53.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Aguada

$114 9.7%

San Juan

$154 6.8% 34.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Aguada

$67 5.6%

San Juan

$62 2.8% 6.8% $4.5

Groceries & Markets

Aguada

$60 * 5.1%

San Juan

$417 18.5% 591% $357

Getting Around

Aguada

- * 0%

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Aguada and $1,802 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Aguada

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

Same time as Aguada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,000

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aguada San Juan 110 km

From you

Aguada
San Juan

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

Aguada vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguada and San Juan differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,184 vs $2,253 including rent). Aguada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in San Juan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Aguada versus $1,802 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $502 in Aguada versus $821 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $1,184 per month in Aguada versus $2,253 in San Juan – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,184 in Aguada versus $2,253 in San Juan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aguada but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Aguada 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, Aguada and San Juan 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 Aguada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.