Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carolina and Cabo Rojo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,236 a month against $2,257 in Carolina, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
Learn more

Carolina Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Rojo
Learn more

Cabo Rojo Living Index

Jump to prices

Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,257

/mo nomad

Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carolina and in Cabo Rojo

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

A single person spends $2,257 per month in Carolina vs $1,236 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Carolina $2,257
Cabo Rojo $1,236

A couple spends around $3,121 per month in Carolina vs $1,948 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Carolina $3,121
Cabo Rojo $1,948

A family of three spends $3,986 per month in Carolina vs $2,660 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Carolina $3,986
Cabo Rojo $2,660

Carolina costs about 83% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Carolina sits 66% above the global median, while Cabo Rojo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 $13.48

$10.19 $10.19

32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$83.4 $83.4

-34.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 $10.16

$8.78 $8.78

15.72%

Cappuccino

$3.19 $3.19

$3.63 $3.63

-12.12%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$1.85 $1.85

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.46 $1.46

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.51 $1.51

100.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.41 $3.41

48.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.15 $2.15

-6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.73 $3.73

-7.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.34 $2.34

-26.92%

Eggs

$4.62 $4.62

$7.32 $7.32

-36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$12.39 $12.39

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 $8.53

$9.79 $9.79

-12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.09 $13.09

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.96 $4.96

-39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.65 $2.65

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.88 $4.88

-48.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$4.79 $4.79

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.83 $3.83

-22.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.89 $3.89

-14.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.55 $3.55

-41.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.66 $1.66

22.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$11.81 $11.81

-16.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 $18.32

$15.82 $15.82

15.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.13 $3.13

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.02 $4.02

21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.06 $40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.79 $49.79

$42.41 $42.41

17.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.75 $0.75

56.00%

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

$39.8K $39.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

16.62%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

7.72%

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

$599 $599

$325 $325

84.34%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$65.1 $65.1

-21.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$69.1 $69.1

14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.70 $10.70

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 $8.20

$10.39 $10.39

-21.08%

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

$509 $509

$818 $818

-37.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 $9,423

$12.7K $12.7K

-26.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 $89.7

$55.6 $55.6

61.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 $25.49

$60.4 $60.4

-57.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$108 $108

-16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$114 $114

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 $1,078

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 $746

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,479 $3,479

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 $2,307

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,964 $1,964

$4,288 $4,288

-54.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

6.55

-4.89%

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

Last update for Carolina: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cabo Rojo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carolina

$746 33%

Cabo Rojo

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carolina

$729 32.3%

Cabo Rojo

$459 37.1% 37% $270

Groceries & Markets

Carolina

$350 15.5%

Cabo Rojo

$416 33.6% 18.8% $66

Eating Out

Carolina

$221 9.8%

Cabo Rojo

$179 14.5% 18.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Carolina

$133 5.9%

Cabo Rojo

$152 12.3% 14.6% $19

Getting Around

Carolina

$52 * 2.3%

Cabo Rojo

$9.8 * 0.8% 81.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Carolina

$27 1.2%

Cabo Rojo

$21 * 1.7% 23.3% $6.3

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cabo Rojo are about 2.2 times higher, 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 $55 in Carolina versus $83 in Cabo Rojo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $416 – making Carolina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Carolina

🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

Same time as Carolina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,304

50,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carolina Cabo Rojo 130 km

From you

Carolina
Cabo Rojo

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

Carolina vs Cabo Rojo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carolina costs about 83% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,385 per month in Carolina and $1,854 in Cabo Rojo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,257 in Carolina and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. That’s a gap of about 83%.

Kindergarten costs $509 per month in Carolina and $818 in Cabo Rojo. 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 $2,257 in Carolina and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Carolina has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Cabo Rojo to $2,257 in Carolina. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.