Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Caguas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caguas: $1,613 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Caguas
Learn more

Caguas Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Caguas

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,613 in Caguas, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Caguas $1,613

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,583 in Caguas, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Caguas $2,583

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,552 in Caguas, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Caguas $3,552

New York, NY costs about 204% more than Caguas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Caguas sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Caguas by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$15.03 $15.03

79.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$84.4 $84.4

38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$8.63 $8.63

69.18%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$2.27 $2.27

188.11%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.11 $1.11

247.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.17 $1.17

152.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$1.52 $1.52

431.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.04 $4.04

143.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.11 $2.11

-37.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.82 $2.82

76.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.25 $2.25

242.22%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.79 $4.79

27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$6.72 $6.72

190.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.21 $9.21

90.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$11.77 $11.77

72.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.02 $5.02

39.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.64 $2.64

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$2.46 $2.46

173.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.28 $4.28

66.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.52 $2.52

82.94%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.70 $2.70

77.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.26 $2.26

26.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.63 $1.63

65.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.40 $10.40

84.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$13.76 $13.76

42.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.44 $1.44

130.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.22 $2.22

88.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.02 $2.02

49.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$70.2 $70.2

98.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.48 $2.48

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.46 $1.46

50.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$41.54 $41.54

-0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.92 $0.92

22.83%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.2K $30.2K

14.16%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.06%

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

$232 $232

$190 $190

22.42%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$58.8 $58.8

20.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$56.0 $56.0

20.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$34.23 $34.23

237.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$49.03 $49.03

56.66%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$9.82 $9.82

128.21%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$299 $299

1105.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$12.1K $12.1K

469.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$25.95 $25.95

205.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$35.63 $35.63

44.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$79.0 $79.0

53.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$116 $116

21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$751 $751

506.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$522 $522

482.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$1,113 $1,113

774.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$993 $993

436.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,369 $2,369

669.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$859 $859

677.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,014 $3,014

69.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

4.85

42.06%

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

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

Last update for Caguas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Caguas

$522 32.3% 82.8% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Caguas

$332 20.6% 41.5% $235

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Caguas

$198 12.3% 53.4% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Caguas

$305 18.9% 17.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Caguas

$115 7.1% 34.7% $61

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Caguas

$88 5.5% 46.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Caguas

$54 3.3% 66.4% $106

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $751 in Caguas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $84 in Caguas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $332 – making Caguas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇷 Caguas

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

70,318

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Caguas 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Caguas

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

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

New York, NY costs about 204% more than Caguas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $2,420 in Caguas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caguas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $751 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $84 in Caguas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $1,613 in Caguas. That makes Caguas about 67% cheaper.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caguas, where all-in costs run around $1,613, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Caguas it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caguas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Caguas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.