Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and San Juan Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and San Juan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Arouca versus $1,370 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Arouca versus $2,131 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,333 in Arouca versus $2,893 in San Juan.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 31% less than in San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arouca is 30% below, San Juan is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.41 TTD 70.4

$7.47 TTD 50.5

39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 TTD 593

$60.0 TTD 405

46.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 TTD 50.7

$7.58 TTD 51.3

-1.19%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.64

$3.76 TTD 25.43

-3.19%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.37

$1.09 TTD 7.39

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.18

$0.78 TTD 5.25

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.31

$1.90 TTD 12.82

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 TTD 20.84

$2.88 TTD 19.46

6.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 TTD 17.80

$2.74 TTD 18.50

-4.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 TTD 18.93

$2.70 TTD 18.26

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 TTD 18.28

$2.69 TTD 18.16

0.37%

Eggs

$4.99 TTD 33.75

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 TTD 52.4

$7.91 TTD 53.5

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 TTD 69.9

$10.59 TTD 71.6

-2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 TTD 95.4

$14.54 TTD 98.3

-3.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 TTD 40.00

$5.99 TTD 40.51

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.47

$2.60 TTD 17.59

-0.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 TTD 29.00

$4.20 TTD 28.37

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 TTD 32.24

$4.80 TTD 32.49

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 TTD 9.67

$1.50 TTD 10.15

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.23

$1.66 TTD 11.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 TTD 12.83

$1.96 TTD 13.28

-3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 TTD 9.40

$1.42 TTD 9.57

-2.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 TTD 39.87

$6.00 TTD 40.57

-1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 TTD 126

$18.42 TTD 125

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 TTD 14.90

$2.21 TTD 14.92

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 TTD 19.02

$2.84 TTD 19.19

-1.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.15

$1.05 TTD 7.12

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.65

$1.27 TTD 8.57

0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.95 TTD 101

$14.67 TTD 99.2

1.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 TTD 7.66

$1.15 TTD 7.78

-1.74%

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

$34.1K TTD 230.2K

$34.6K TTD 233.6K

-1.44%

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

$37.9K TTD 256.5K

$38.9K TTD 262.9K

-2.42%

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

$80.6 TTD 545

$79.4 TTD 537

1.42%

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

$47.29 TTD 320

$45.97 TTD 311

2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 TTD 411

$62.1 TTD 420

-2.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 TTD 68.6

$9.86 TTD 66.6

2.94%

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

$330 TTD 2,233

$323 TTD 2,181

2.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,290 TTD 49.3K

$7,203 TTD 48.7K

1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 TTD 396

$58.3 TTD 394

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.73 TTD 262

$37.72 TTD 255

2.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 TTD 999

$147 TTD 992

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 TTD 862

$128 TTD 866

-0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 TTD 5,012

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 TTD 3,013

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 TTD 6,985

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 TTD 5,075

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

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

Last update for Arouca: June 8, 2026

Last update for San Juan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $88.0 in Arouca vs $60.0 in San Juan. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $378, with Arouca cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Arouca and San Juan differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($943 vs $1,370 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,414 in Arouca and $2,055 in San Juan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $330 in Arouca versus $323 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $60.0 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $943 in Arouca versus $1,370 in San Juan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca 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.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.