Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayaguez and Carolina

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayaguez: $1,294 a month against $2,257 in Carolina, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Carolina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Mayaguez
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Mayaguez Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
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Carolina Living Index

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Mayaguez

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,294

/mo nomad

Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mayaguez and in Carolina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,257 in Carolina.

Mayaguez $1,294
Carolina $2,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,001 in Mayaguez versus $3,121 in Carolina.

Mayaguez $2,001
Carolina $3,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,709 in Mayaguez versus $3,986 in Carolina.

Mayaguez $2,709
Carolina $3,986

Living in Mayaguez costs roughly 43% less than in Carolina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayaguez is 5% below, Carolina is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 $12.98

$13.48 $13.48

-3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 $68.5

$54.6 $54.6

25.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$10.16 $10.16

-9.65%

Cappuccino

$3.51 $3.51

$3.19 $3.19

10.03%

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

$1.24 $1.24

$2.96 $2.96

-58.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.73 $1.73

-37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.03 $3.03

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.07 $5.07

-15.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.01 $2.01

8.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.44 $3.44

4.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.71 $1.71

36.84%

Eggs

$7.46 $7.46

$4.62 $4.62

61.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$7.21 $7.21

75.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 $9.47

$8.53 $8.53

11.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$12.70 $12.70

5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.02 $3.02

62.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.50 $2.50

6.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.52 $2.52

91.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.63 $3.63

30.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.98 $2.98

23.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.33 $3.33

21.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.09 $2.09

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.03 $2.03

-19.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$9.84 $9.84

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.79 $15.79

$18.32 $18.32

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.91 $2.91

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.89 $4.89

-16.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.06 $40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$49.79 $49.79

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.17 $1.17

-17.95%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$39.8K $39.8K

-14.38%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$29.8K $29.8K

-8.09%

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

$323 $323

$599 $599

-46.13%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$51.0 $51.0

34.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$79.1 $79.1

-12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.80 $27.80

$10.70 $10.70

159.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 $10.48

$8.20 $8.20

27.80%

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

$837 $837

$509 $509

64.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$9,423 $9,423

34.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$89.7 $89.7

-37.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 $61.0

$25.49 $25.49

139.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$90.7 $90.7

21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$88.7 $88.7

30.27%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.23

5.14%

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

Last update for Mayaguez: October 26, 2026

Last update for Carolina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayaguez

$461 35.6%

Carolina

$729 32.3% 58.2% $268

Groceries & Markets

Mayaguez

$413 31.9%

Carolina

$350 15.5% 15.4% $64

Eating Out

Mayaguez

$207 16%

Carolina

$221 9.8% 6.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mayaguez

$155 11.9%

Carolina

$133 5.9% 14.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mayaguez

$49 3.8%

Carolina

$27 1.2% 44.4% $22

Getting Around

Mayaguez

$10 * 0.8%

Carolina

$52 * 2.3% 410% $42

Accommodation & Living

Mayaguez

- * 0%

Carolina

$746 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68 in Mayaguez vs $55 in Carolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $350 per month, with Carolina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Mayaguez

🇵🇷 Carolina

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as Mayaguez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,566

138,304

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mayaguez Carolina 130 km

From you

Mayaguez
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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

Mayaguez vs Carolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayaguez wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Carolina. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mayaguez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,941 in Mayaguez and $3,385 in Carolina to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $837 in Mayaguez versus $509 in Carolina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Carolina – a meal for two runs $55 versus $68 in Mayaguez. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,257 in Carolina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mayaguez but tight or insufficient in Carolina. The gap between the two cities makes Mayaguez 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.