Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Luquillo and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Luquillo: $1,257 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Luquillo
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Luquillo Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Luquillo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,257

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Luquillo and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,257 in Luquillo versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Luquillo $1,257
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,014 in Luquillo versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Luquillo $2,014
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,772 in Luquillo versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Luquillo $2,772
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Luquillo costs roughly 74% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Luquillo is 7% below, New York, NY is 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.14 $19.14

$26.93 $26.93

-28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 $83.3

$117 $117

-28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 $9.03

$14.60 $14.60

-38.15%

Cappuccino

$3.68 $3.68

$6.54 $6.54

-43.73%

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

$1.65 $1.65

$3.86 $3.86

-57.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.95 $2.95

-48.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 $3.09

$8.08 $8.08

-61.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$9.85 $9.85

-76.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.31 $1.31

64.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.97 $4.97

-24.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$7.70 $7.70

-68.44%

Eggs

$7.26 $7.26

$6.09 $6.09

19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$19.55 $19.55

-36.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 $9.49

$17.59 $17.59

-46.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$20.26 $20.26

-34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$6.99 $6.99

-27.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.21 $2.21

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$6.72 $6.72

-25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$7.12 $7.12

-33.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.61 $4.61

-16.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.78 $4.78

-18.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.87 $2.87

21.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.69 $2.69

-40.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$19.14 $19.14

-36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$19.63 $19.63

-38.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.32 $3.32

-9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.19 $4.19

-1.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.04 $3.04

-16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.20 $2.20

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.74 $42.74

$41.33 $41.33

3.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.13 $1.13

-26.55%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.99%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

9.57%

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

$272 $272

$232 $232

16.97%

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

$69.3 $69.3

$71.0 $71.0

-2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$67.7 $67.7

1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 $10.44

$22.41 $22.41

-53.41%

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

$822 $822

$3,606 $3,606

-77.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K $12.6K

$68.7K $68.7K

-81.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$79.3 $79.3

-28.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 $60.2

$51.4 $51.4

17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$121 $121

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$140 $140

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,143 $4,143

$5,096 $5,096

-18.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.89

-4.93%

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

Last update for Luquillo: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Luquillo

$410 32.6%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 9.5% $39

Groceries & Markets

Luquillo

$406 32.3%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 39.6% $161

Eating Out

Luquillo

$257 20.5%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 65.3% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Luquillo

$152 12.1%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 15.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Luquillo

$21 * 1.7%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 667% $139

Getting Around

Luquillo

$9.9 * 0.8%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 1566% $156

Accommodation & Living

Luquillo

- * 0%

New York, NY

$3K 62%

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

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83 in Luquillo vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $567 per month, with Luquillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Luquillo

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

09:42 9:42 AM

1 h behind Luquillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Luquillo New York, NY 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Luquillo
New York, NY

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

Luquillo vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luquillo is about 74% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Luquillo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,257 per month in Luquillo versus $4,906 in New York, NY – Luquillo is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,257 in Luquillo versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Luquillo but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Luquillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Luquillo wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.