Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Puerto Rico Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Australia vs $1,435 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Australia vs $2,186 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,757 per month in Australia vs $2,936 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 73% higher than in Puerto Rico on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Puerto Rico are pricier than the global median – Australia by 82%, Puerto Rico by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 A$24.56

$13.47 $13.47

29.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 A$118

$78.8 $78.8

6.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.04

$9.92 $9.92

7.96%

Cappuccino

$3.97 A$5.58

$3.32 $3.32

19.58%

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

$2.87 A$4.03

$1.65 $1.65

73.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.40

$1.33 $1.33

81.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.02

$3.08 $3.08

154.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 A$11.16

$4.02 $4.02

97.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 A$2.52

$2.09 $2.09

-13.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.02

$3.15 $3.15

-9.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.24

$2.20 $2.20

5.00%

Eggs

$4.98 A$6.99

$5.91 $5.91

-15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 A$13.59

$10.30 $10.30

-6.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 A$12.95

$8.37 $8.37

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.73

$12.43 $12.43

24.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.39

$4.80 $4.80

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.29

$2.80 $2.80

8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.45

$4.69 $4.69

-32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.82

$4.64 $4.64

4.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$3.51 $3.51

-16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.28

$3.12 $3.12

-25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.36

$3.00 $3.00

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.37

$1.85 $1.85

-8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.07 A$53.5

$11.87 $11.87

220.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.03

$15.32 $15.32

-6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 A$6.80

$2.37 $2.37

104.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.08

$3.41 $3.41

47.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.00

$1.22 $1.22

133.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$29.40 $29.40

222.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 A$5.09

$2.56 $2.56

41.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.34

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.92 A$57.5

$42.04 $42.04

-2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.84

$0.97 $0.97

35.05%

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

$28.1K A$39.5K

$40.4K $40.4K

-30.48%

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

$29.3K A$41.2K

$29.6K $29.6K

-0.96%

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

$200 A$280

$294 $294

-31.99%

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

$29.33 A$41.19

$71.8 $71.8

-59.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.3

$72.2 $72.2

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 A$79.0

$32.24 $32.24

74.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 A$27.00

$13.98 $13.98

37.55%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 A$22.23

$9.98 $9.98

58.62%

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

$2,163 A$3,037

$720 $720

200.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.5K

$11.9K $11.9K

52.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$113

$55.1 $55.1

46.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$77.0

$50.4 $50.4

8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$159

$91.5 $91.5

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$177

$103 $103

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,204

$1,009 $1,009

55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,748

$690 $690

80.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 A$3,438

$2,045 $2,045

19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,743

$1,273 $1,273

53.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,257 A$11.6K

$5,759 $5,759

43.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,577

$2,455 $2,455

148.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,015 A$5,638

$2,739 $2,739

46.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.41

-7.49%

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

Last update for Australia: August 17, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,376 in Australia vs $370 in Puerto Rico. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,754 in Canberra and $1,844 in San Juan.

Average salary: $3,873 in Australia vs $2,395 in Puerto Rico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 272% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 20% more in Australia.

Public transport is 971% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 62% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

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 91% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Puerto Rico, contributing to the overall 91% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.