Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Rico: $1,938 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Puerto Rico

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

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Australia vs $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Australia $2,542
Puerto Rico $1,938

A couple spends around $3,717 per month in Australia vs $2,984 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Australia $3,717
Puerto Rico $2,984

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Australia vs $4,029 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Australia $4,893
Puerto Rico $4,029

The cost of living in Australia is about 31% higher than in Puerto Rico on average.

Both Australia and Puerto Rico are pricier than the global median – Australia by 88%, Puerto Rico by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 A$24.69

$15.20 $15.20

12.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$79.4 $79.4

5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 A$16.12

$9.96 $9.96

12.45%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.48 $3.48

12.64%

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

$2.83 A$4.07

$1.71 $1.71

65.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.31

$1.41 $1.41

63.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$11.06

$2.94 $2.94

161.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.87

$4.58 $4.58

80.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$2.17 $2.17

-18.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$3.40 $3.40

-18.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.16

$2.31 $2.31

-5.19%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.18

$5.89 $5.89

-15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.31

$11.29 $11.29

-11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$8.33 $8.33

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 A$21.94

$12.31 $12.31

23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.28

$4.44 $4.44

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.67 $2.67

14.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.50

$4.38 $4.38

-28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.56

$4.40 $4.40

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$3.55 $3.55

-20.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.44

$3.16 $3.16

-24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.39

$2.92 $2.92

-19.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.36

$1.86 $1.86

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.42 A$55.3

$11.98 $11.98

220.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$15.36 $15.36

-10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.75

$2.35 $2.35

99.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.31

$3.62 $3.62

40.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.91

$1.23 $1.23

121.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$138

$30.45 $30.45

214.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.10

$2.55 $2.55

38.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.54 $1.54

0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.00 A$57.6

$42.38 $42.38

-5.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.08 $1.08

20.37%

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

$28.2K A$40.5K

$40.1K $40.1K

-29.68%

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

$28.5K A$40.9K

$29.5K $29.5K

-3.41%

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

$198 A$285

$294 $294

-32.45%

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

$28.75 A$41.37

$66.9 $66.9

-57.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.4

$72.4 $72.4

-18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.6

$28.95 $28.95

95.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 A$27.46

$14.06 $14.06

35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 A$21.62

$10.07 $10.07

49.16%

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

$2,154 A$3,099

$725 $725

196.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K A$25.8K

$11.5K $11.5K

55.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$57.0 $57.0

36.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$78.8

$48.49 $48.49

12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$92.4 $92.4

21.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$179

$99.4 $99.4

25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 A$2,215

$1,087 $1,087

41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,758

$667 $667

83.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 A$3,566

$2,091 $2,091

18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 A$2,778

$1,289 $1,289

49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,153 A$11.7K

$5,538 $5,538

47.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,053 A$8,711

$2,484 $2,484

143.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,944 A$5,676

$2,751 $2,751

43.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.51

-8.91%

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

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48.1%

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5% 45.4% $554

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.6%

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6% 2.5% $9.2

Eating Out

Australia

$293 11.5%

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9% 21.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$286 11.2%

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3% 51.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9% 19.5% $32

Getting Around

Australia

$118 4.6%

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4% 61.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5% 43.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,366 in Australia vs $316 in Puerto Rico. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,716 in Canberra and $1,802 in San Juan.

Average salary: $3,849 in Australia vs $2,566 in Puerto Rico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 332% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 17% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1400% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 50% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

15 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

3,285,874

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Puerto Rico 16,080 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Puerto Rico

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

Australia vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Rico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $316 in Puerto Rico.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Puerto Rico, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Puerto Rico is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.