Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,843 a month against $2,054 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Italy
Puerto Rico
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$2,054
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Italy 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 Italy and in Puerto Rico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $2,054 in Puerto Rico.

  • Italy $1,843
  • Puerto Rico $2,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $3,047 in Puerto Rico.

  • Italy $2,816
  • Puerto Rico $3,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $4,040 in Puerto Rico.

  • Italy $3,788
  • Puerto Rico $4,040

Italy ($1,038–$2,555) and Puerto Rico ($1,068–$2,500) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Italy costs about 10% less than in Puerto Rico on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 35% above, Puerto Rico 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46 €18.32
$15.25 $15.25
34.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €71.2
$78.9 $78.9
0.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 €9.99
$10.20 $10.20
9.31%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.83
$3.53 $3.53
-42.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$1.66 $1.66
86.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.35 $1.35
3.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 €4.94
$2.97 $2.97
85.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.14
$4.61 $4.61
24.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.18 $2.18
-27.98%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.13
$3.29 $3.29
-27.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.60
$2.21 $2.21
31.22%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.65
$6.09 $6.09
-33.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.44 €15.62
$11.17 $11.17
56.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.56 €11.25
$8.38 $8.38
49.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.17 €18.06
$12.46 $12.46
61.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$4.70 $4.70
-45.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$2.65 $2.65
-17.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
$4.37 $4.37
-38.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 €2.93
$4.59 $4.59
-28.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$3.51 $3.51
-45.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.21 $3.21
-43.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.97 $2.97
-47.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.80 $1.80
-69.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €5.99
$11.76 $11.76
-43.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.15
$15.41 $15.41
-48.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.59
$2.35 $2.35
-24.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$3.57 $3.57
-34.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.89 $0.89
114.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.44 €38.90
$30.39 $30.39
42.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.03
$2.45 $2.45
129.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.54
$1.53 $1.53
11.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 €30.12
$41.72 $41.72
-19.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.04 $1.04
95.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.6K
$39.7K $39.7K
-11.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.9K
$28.8K $28.8K
27.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €203
$294 $294
-23.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.38
$68.6 $68.6
-83.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.21
$71.2 $71.2
-57.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.37
$28.85 $28.85
79.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.22
$13.72 $13.72
72.74%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.50
$9.87 $9.87
7.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €508
$708 $708
-19.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$11.2K $11.2K
2.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €81.1
$57.5 $57.5
57.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 €34.53
$47.49 $47.49
-18.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.9
$93.4 $93.4
9.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$98.1 $98.1
33.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 €739
$1,202 $1,202
-31.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €579
$782 $782
-17.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,254
$2,319 $2,319
-39.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 €944
$1,297 $1,297
-18.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,280
$6,281 $6,281
-41.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,301 €2,061
$3,615 $3,615
-36.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Puerto Rico
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,886 €1,689
$2,811 $2,811
-32.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
6.51
-45.31%

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

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646
Puerto Rico
$782 21.1% $136
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348
Puerto Rico
$381 9.4% $33
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Puerto Rico
$231 17.1% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269
Puerto Rico
$434 61.6% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Puerto Rico
$133 18.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73
Puerto Rico
$49 33.4% $24
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Puerto Rico
$44 32.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $898 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $1,934 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $2,576 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 23% higher in Puerto Rico.

Salaries are 36% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
🕒 Local time
03:10 3:10 AM
22:10 10:10 PM
5 h behind Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
3,285,874
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Puerto Rico 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • 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
Italy vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Puerto Rico?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $2,054 in Puerto Rico, Italy comes out about 10% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $898 in Puerto Rico and $729 in Italy. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to Puerto Rico?
It depends on what you’re after: Italy wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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