Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and San Juan, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,520 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in San Juan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,520 in San Juan, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
San Juan $2,520

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,581 in San Juan, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
San Juan $3,581

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,641 in San Juan, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
San Juan $4,641

New York, NY costs about 95% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and San Juan sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Juan by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.61 $19.61

37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$83.1 $83.1

40.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.17 $9.17

59.21%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.54 $3.54

84.75%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.91 $1.91

102.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.46 $1.46

102.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$2.95 $2.95

173.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.95 $4.95

98.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.22 $2.22

-40.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.57 $3.57

39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.44 $2.44

215.57%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$7.54 $7.54

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.48 $12.48

56.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.41 $9.41

86.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$13.34 $13.34

51.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.04 $5.04

38.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.66 $2.66

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.99 $4.99

34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.69 $4.69

51.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.77 $3.77

22.28%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.85 $3.85

24.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.36 $3.36

-14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.61 $1.61

67.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.98 $11.98

59.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.81 $15.81

24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.09 $3.09

7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.02 $4.02

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.72 $0.72

319.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$30.54 $30.54

356.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.48 $2.48

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.47 $1.47

49.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$42.26 $42.26

-2.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.26 $1.26

-10.32%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.3K $35.3K

-2.41%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-7.92%

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

$232 $232

$322 $322

-27.76%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$68.4 $68.4

3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$69.9 $69.9

-3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$40.57 $40.57

184.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$7.47 $7.47

928.25%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$10.46 $10.46

114.24%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$814 $814

343.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$11.7K $11.7K

487.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$56.6 $56.6

40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$62.3 $62.3

-17.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$109 $109

10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$112 $112

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,994 $1,994

128.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,124 $1,124

170.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,507 $3,507

177.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,634 $1,634

226.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$7,463 $7,463

144.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$4,563 $4,563

46.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,096 $3,096

64.58%

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 San Juan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6% 63% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

San Juan

$414 16.4% 27.1% $153

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

San Juan

$265 10.5% 37.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

San Juan

$460 18.3% 23.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

San Juan

$153 6.1% 13.3% $23

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

San Juan

$43 1.7% 73.9% $122

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

San Juan

$62 2.4% 61.6% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,994 in San Juan. 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 65% 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 $83 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $414 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

322,854 Capital

💱 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 San Juan 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 95% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,781 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,994 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $814 in San Juan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,520 in San Juan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $2,520 versus $4,906 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan. 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.