Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arecibo and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,279 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
Learn more

Arecibo Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,279

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arecibo and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Arecibo versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Arecibo $1,279
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Arecibo versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Arecibo $2,010
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,740 in Arecibo versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Arecibo $2,740
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Arecibo costs roughly 74% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arecibo is 5% below, New York, NY is 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 $11.89

$26.93 $26.93

-55.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 $83.9

$117 $117

-28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 $8.42

$14.60 $14.60

-42.33%

Cappuccino

$3.52 $3.52

$6.54 $6.54

-46.18%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$3.86 $3.86

-52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.95 $2.95

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$8.08 $8.08

-62.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 $5.13

$9.85 $9.85

-47.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.31 $1.31

41.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.97 $4.97

-32.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$7.70 $7.70

-73.64%

Eggs

$4.56 $4.56

$6.09 $6.09

-25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 $12.49

$19.55 $19.55

-36.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 $9.59

$17.59 $17.59

-45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$20.26 $20.26

-34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$6.99 $6.99

-28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.21 $2.21

19.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$6.72 $6.72

-28.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$7.12 $7.12

-32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.61 $4.61

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.78 $4.78

-18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.87 $2.87

16.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.69 $2.69

-38.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$19.14 $19.14

-36.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.65 $15.65

$19.63 $19.63

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.32 $3.32

-9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.19 $4.19

-3.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 $39.94

$139 $139

-71.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.04 $3.04

-16.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.20 $2.20

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 $42.11

$41.33 $41.33

1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.13 $1.13

-19.47%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.14%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

6.85%

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

$324 $324

$232 $232

39.61%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$71.0 $71.0

-3.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$67.7 $67.7

-2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 $10.34

$22.41 $22.41

-53.86%

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

$832 $832

$3,606 $3,606

-76.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$68.7K $68.7K

-82.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 $56.4

$79.3 $79.3

-28.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 $61.5

$51.4 $51.4

19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$121 $121

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$140 $140

-18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,211 $1,211

$5,096 $5,096

-76.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.89

-4.93%

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

Last update for Arecibo: November 2, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arecibo

$459 35.9%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 19.2% $88

Groceries & Markets

Arecibo

$394 30.8%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 43.8% $173

Eating Out

Arecibo

$201 15.8%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 111% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Arecibo

$154 12%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 14.8% $23

Getting Around

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 232% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Arecibo

$21 * 1.6%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 675% $140

Accommodation & Living

Arecibo

- * 0%

New York, NY

$3K 62%

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

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Arecibo vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $567 per month, with Arecibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

1 h behind Arecibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,634

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arecibo New York, NY 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arecibo
New York, NY

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

Arecibo vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is about 74% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Arecibo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $84 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,279 in Arecibo versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo 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.

It comes down to priorities – Arecibo wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.