Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Luquillo

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.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Luquillo
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Luquillo Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Luquillo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in New York, NY is roughly 290% more expensive than in Luquillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.14 $19.14

40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$83.3 $83.3

40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.03 $9.03

61.68%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.68 $3.68

77.72%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.65 $1.65

133.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.51 $1.51

95.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.09 $3.09

161.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$2.30 $2.30

328.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.15 $2.15

-39.07%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.73 $3.73

33.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.43 $2.43

216.87%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$7.26 $7.26

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.47 $12.47

56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.49 $9.49

85.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$13.24 $13.24

53.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.09 $5.09

37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.53 $2.53

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.00 $5.00

34.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.73 $4.73

50.53%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.87 $3.87

19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.88 $3.88

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.50 $3.50

-18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.60 $1.60

68.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.18 $12.18

57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$12.02 $12.02

63.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.99 $2.99

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.12 $4.12

1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.54 $2.54

19.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.48 $1.48

48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$42.74 $42.74

-3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.83 $0.83

36.14%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.1K $34.1K

1.00%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

-8.74%

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

$232 $232

$272 $272

-14.51%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$69.3 $69.3

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$68.9 $68.9

-1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$10.44 $10.44

114.66%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$822 $822

338.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$12.6K $12.6K

447.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$56.3 $56.3

40.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$60.2 $60.2

-14.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$108 $108

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$114 $114

22.84%

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)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,143 $4,143

23.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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 Luquillo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Luquillo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Luquillo

$406 32.3% 28.4% $161

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Luquillo

$257 20.5% 39.5% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Luquillo

$410 32.6% 10.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Luquillo

$152 12.1% 13.6% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Luquillo

$9.9 * 0.8% 94% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Luquillo

$21 * 1.7% 87% $139

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇷 Luquillo

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
Luquillo

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 Luquillo: 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.

Average pay runs 23% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

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 $4,906 per month in New York, NY versus $1,257 in Luquillo – 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.