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

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,567 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $2,386 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $3,204 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Italy is roughly 10% more expensive than Puerto Rico on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 28% above, Puerto Rico 17% above.

Italy ($1,170–$2,508) and Puerto Rico ($1,070–$2,442) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$15.02 $15.02

16.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$76.2 $76.2

4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$8.75 $8.75

34.40%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$3.28 $3.28

-39.02%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$1.61 $1.61

86.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.22 $1.22

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.65 $2.65

124.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$3.89 $3.89

37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$3.05 $3.05

-20.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$2.24 $2.24

33.48%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$5.08 $5.08

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$9.65 $9.65

74.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$8.58 $8.58

44.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$11.29 $11.29

79.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$5.18 $5.18

-52.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.68 $2.68

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$4.03 $4.03

-34.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$4.68 $4.68

-27.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.22 $3.22

-40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.70 $2.70

-32.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.65 $2.65

-41.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$1.81 $1.81

-70.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$11.12 $11.12

-38.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$15.65 $15.65

-54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.26 $2.26

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$3.40 $3.40

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.71 $1.71

16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$40.20 $40.20

5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$6.14 $6.14

-3.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.99 $0.99

52.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$27.66 $27.66

23.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.99 $0.99

107.07%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$35.3K $35.3K

-6.98%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

24.88%

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

$225 €194

$302 $302

-25.43%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$71.5 $71.5

-81.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$66.6 $66.6

-53.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$34.38 $34.38

62.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$34.05 $34.05

-26.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$8.83 $8.83

16.08%

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

$576 €495

$430 $430

34.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$7,486 $7,486

39.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$48.16 $48.16

90.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$45.94 $45.94

-11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$84.5 $84.5

16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$102 $102

28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$803 $803

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$624 $624

6.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$1,595 $1,595

-7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$1,142 $1,142

-4.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$5,349 $5,349

-28.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,394 $2,394

-1.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$2,753 $2,753

-29.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.62

-21.53%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $427 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $1,567 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $2,383 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in Italy.

Public transport is 529% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 22% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

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

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,756 in Puerto Rico, there's a 5% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Puerto Rico is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Puerto Rico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Puerto Rico wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.