Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguadilla and Carolina

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadilla: $1,061 a month against $2,264 in Carolina, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Carolina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Aguadilla
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Aguadilla Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
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Carolina Living Index

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Aguadilla

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,061

/mo nomad

Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguadilla and in Carolina

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

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Aguadilla vs $2,264 in Carolina, rent included.

Aguadilla $1,061
Carolina $2,264

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Aguadilla vs $3,131 in Carolina, rent included.

Aguadilla $1,730
Carolina $3,131

A family of three spends $2,398 per month in Aguadilla vs $3,998 in Carolina, rent included.

Aguadilla $2,398
Carolina $3,998

Aguadilla is about 53% cheaper than Carolina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aguadilla sits 21% below the global median, while Carolina is 68% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 $12.05

$13.26 $13.26

-9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 $59.4

$54.5 $54.5

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 $8.97

$10.15 $10.15

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$1.48 $1.48

$3.18 $3.18

-53.46%

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

$1.25 $1.25

$2.93 $2.93

-57.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.79 $1.79

-45.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.05 $3.05

-4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.98 $4.98

-18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.00 $2.00

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.47 $3.47

6.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.79 $1.79

30.17%

Eggs

$7.31 $7.31

$4.68 $4.68

56.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$7.12 $7.12

76.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$8.49 $8.49

14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$12.71 $12.71

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.09 $3.09

62.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.48 $2.48

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.59 $2.59

90.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.79 $3.79

23.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.97 $2.97

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.34 $3.34

19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.11 $2.11

66.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.06 $2.06

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.94 $9.94

21.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$18.17 $18.17

-14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.02 $3.02

-0.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$5.03 $5.03

-22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 $2.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.34 $40.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 $42.66

$49.96 $49.96

-14.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.18 $1.18

-14.41%

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

$39.5K $39.5K

$40.4K $40.4K

-2.18%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$30.0K $30.0K

-7.70%

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

$120 $120

$608 $608

-80.31%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$50.4 $50.4

38.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$78.7 $78.7

-13.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 $35.39

$10.42 $10.42

239.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.86 $29.86

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 $10.48

$8.02 $8.02

30.67%

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

$822 $822

$502 $502

63.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$9,654 $9,654

31.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$88.8 $88.8

-37.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 $60.7

$24.82 $24.82

144.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$89.7 $89.7

22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$90.6 $90.6

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 $1,073

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 $744

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 $1,973

$1,938 $1,938

1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 $1,215

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,462 $3,462

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 $2,312

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,324 $1,324

$1,991 $1,991

-33.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.23

5.14%

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

Last update for Aguadilla: October 12, 2026

Last update for Carolina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aguadilla

$411 38.7%

Carolina

$352 15.6% 14.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aguadilla

$258 24.3%

Carolina

$737 32.6% 186% $479

Eating Out

Aguadilla

$173 16.3%

Carolina

$219 9.7% 26.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Aguadilla

$153 14.5%

Carolina

$132 5.8% 13.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Aguadilla

$56 5.3%

Carolina

$26 1.2% 53% $30

Getting Around

Aguadilla

$9.9 * 0.9%

Carolina

$52 * 2.3% 429% $42

Accommodation & Living

Aguadilla

- * 0%

Carolina

$744 32.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 50% higher in Carolina, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Aguadilla versus $54.0 in Carolina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $352 – making Carolina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Aguadilla

🇵🇷 Carolina

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

Same time as Aguadilla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,919

138,304

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aguadilla Carolina 130 km

From you

Aguadilla
Carolina

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

Aguadilla vs Carolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carolina is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,592 per month in Aguadilla and $3,396 in Carolina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Aguadilla and $54.0 in Carolina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Carolina – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aguadilla, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Carolina at $2,264. In Aguadilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carolina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aguadilla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aguadilla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carolina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.