Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Rojo and San Juan, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,236 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Rojo
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Cabo Rojo Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,236

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo Rojo and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $2,500 in San Juan, rent included.

Cabo Rojo $1,236
San Juan $2,500

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $3,548 in San Juan, rent included.

Cabo Rojo $1,948
San Juan $3,548

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Cabo Rojo vs $4,596 in San Juan, rent included.

Cabo Rojo $2,660
San Juan $4,596

Cabo Rojo is about 51% cheaper than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cabo Rojo sits 9% below the global median, while San Juan is 84% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 $10.19

$18.78 $18.78

-45.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 $83.4

$81.9 $81.9

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$9.23 $9.23

-4.88%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$3.57 $3.57

1.68%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$1.83 $1.83

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.92 $2.92

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.90 $4.90

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.16 $2.16

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.66 $3.66

1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.45 $2.45

-4.49%

Eggs

$7.32 $7.32

$7.30 $7.30

0.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 $9.79

$9.70 $9.70

0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$13.35 $13.35

-1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.91 $4.91

-0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.78 $4.78

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.69 $3.69

3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.86 $3.86

0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.44 $3.44

3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.65 $1.65

0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$11.76 $11.76

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$15.36 $15.36

2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.14 $3.14

-0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.94 $3.94

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.28 $30.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.44 $2.44

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.54 $1.54

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.41 $42.41

$42.10 $42.10

0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.18 $1.18

-36.44%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.8K $34.8K

-1.80%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$28.0K $28.0K

-1.33%

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

$325 $325

$320 $320

1.56%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$68.3 $68.3

-4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$71.2 $71.2

-2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.39 $10.39

$10.43 $10.43

-0.38%

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

$818 $818

$836 $836

-2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$12.5K $12.5K

1.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$57.3 $57.3

-2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 $60.4

$61.6 $61.6

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$110 $110

-1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$115 $115

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,515 $3,515

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,447 $7,447

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,654 $4,654

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,288 $4,288

$2,719 $2,719

57.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Cabo Rojo: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Rojo

$459 37.1%

San Juan

$459 18.4% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Cabo Rojo

$416 33.6%

San Juan

$414 16.6% 0.4% $1.8

Eating Out

Cabo Rojo

$179 14.5%

San Juan

$258 10.3% 44.4% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Rojo

$152 12.3%

San Juan

$154 6.2% 1.6% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Rojo

$21 * 1.7%

San Juan

$62 2.5% 198% $41

Getting Around

Cabo Rojo

$9.8 * 0.8%

San Juan

$44 1.7% 344% $34

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Rojo

- * 0%

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 58% higher in Cabo Rojo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Cabo Rojo versus $82 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $414 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

Same time as Cabo Rojo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabo Rojo San Juan 120 km

From you

Cabo Rojo
San Juan

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

Cabo Rojo vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 102% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Cabo Rojo and $3,751 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Cabo Rojo and $2,500 in San Juan. That makes Cabo Rojo about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $818 per month in Cabo Rojo and $836 in San Juan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,236 in Cabo Rojo and $2,500 in San Juan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Juan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Cabo Rojo to $2,500 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.