Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayaguez and San Juan, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayaguez: $1,294 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Mayaguez
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Mayaguez Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Mayaguez

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,294

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mayaguez and in San Juan

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 San Juan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,500 in San Juan.

Mayaguez $1,294
San Juan $2,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,001 in Mayaguez versus $3,548 in San Juan.

Mayaguez $2,001
San Juan $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,709 in Mayaguez versus $4,596 in San Juan.

Mayaguez $2,709
San Juan $4,596

Living in Mayaguez costs roughly 48% less than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayaguez is 5% below, San Juan is 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 $12.98

$18.78 $18.78

-30.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 $68.5

$81.9 $81.9

-16.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$9.23 $9.23

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$3.51 $3.51

$3.57 $3.57

-1.68%

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

$1.24 $1.24

$1.83 $1.83

-32.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.51 $1.51

-28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.92 $2.92

4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.90 $4.90

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.16 $2.16

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.66 $3.66

-2.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.45 $2.45

-4.49%

Eggs

$7.46 $7.46

$7.30 $7.30

2.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$12.39 $12.39

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 $9.47

$9.70 $9.70

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$13.35 $13.35

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.96 $4.96

-0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.65 $2.65

0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.91 $4.91

-1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.78 $4.78

-0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.69 $3.69

-0.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.86 $3.86

4.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.44 $3.44

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.65 $1.65

-0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$11.76 $11.76

2.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.79 $15.79

$15.36 $15.36

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.14 $3.14

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.94 $3.94

3.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.28 $30.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.44 $2.44

5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$42.10 $42.10

1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.18 $1.18

-18.64%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$34.8K $34.8K

-1.94%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$28.0K $28.0K

-2.32%

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

$323 $323

$320 $320

0.86%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$68.3 $68.3

0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$71.2 $71.2

-2.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.80 $27.80

$41.05 $41.05

-32.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 $10.48

$10.43 $10.43

0.48%

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

$837 $837

$836 $836

0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$12.5K $12.5K

1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$57.3 $57.3

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 $61.0

$61.6 $61.6

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$110 $110

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$115 $115

0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,515 $3,515

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,447 $7,447

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,654 $4,654

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,719 $2,719

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Mayaguez: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayaguez

$461 35.6%

San Juan

$459 18.4% 0.3% $1.4

Groceries & Markets

Mayaguez

$413 31.9%

San Juan

$414 16.6% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Mayaguez

$207 16%

San Juan

$258 10.3% 25.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Mayaguez

$155 11.9%

San Juan

$154 6.2% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Mayaguez

$49 3.8%

San Juan

$62 2.5% 27% $13

Getting Around

Mayaguez

$10 * 0.8%

San Juan

$44 1.7% 325% $33

Accommodation & Living

Mayaguez

- * 0%

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68 in Mayaguez vs $82 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $414 per month, with Mayaguez cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Mayaguez

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

Same time as Mayaguez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,566

322,854 Capital

💱 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 San Juan 110 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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayaguez is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,941 in Mayaguez and $3,751 in San Juan 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Mayaguez – a meal for two runs $68 versus $82 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $837 in Mayaguez versus $836 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,500 in San Juan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mayaguez but tight or insufficient in San Juan. 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.