Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,253 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,867 in Ontario, CA versus $2,253 in San Juan.

Ontario, CA $2,867
San Juan $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,937 in Ontario, CA versus $3,373 in San Juan.

Ontario, CA $2,937
San Juan $3,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,007 in Ontario, CA versus $4,494 in San Juan.

Ontario, CA $3,007
San Juan $4,494

Living in Ontario, CA is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ontario, CA 112% above, San Juan 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$19.43 $19.43

2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 $78.2

$82.3 $82.3

-5.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.13 $15.13

$9.43 $9.43

60.45%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$3.56 $3.56

58.43%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$1.83 $1.83

68.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.45 $1.45

59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 $7.26

$3.04 $3.04

138.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 $9.37

$5.13 $5.13

82.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.19 $2.19

-52.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.69 $3.69

8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.36 $2.36

102.97%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$7.33 $7.33

-37.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$12.75 $12.75

1.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$9.55 $9.55

-7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$13.21 $13.21

18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.13 $5.13

-9.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.66 $2.66

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$5.00 $5.00

-20.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.92 $4.92

12.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.71 $3.71

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.90 $3.90

-40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.53 $3.53

-43.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.61 $1.61

19.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.78 $11.78

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.84 $15.84

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.07 $3.07

-36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.10 $4.10

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.71 $0.71

116.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 $29.84

$29.97 $29.97

-0.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.53 $2.53

140.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.24 $1.24

23.39%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$40.3K $40.3K

-8.10%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

-2.91%

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

$222 $222

$327 $327

-32.26%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$68.4 $68.4

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$70.4 $70.4

-12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 $64.0

$41.46 $41.46

54.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.79 $28.79

$7.70 $7.70

273.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$10.40 $10.40

72.02%

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

$1,164 $1,164

$821 $821

41.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$56.1 $56.1

3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 $40.76

$61.4 $61.4

-33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$109 $109

-16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,802 $1,802

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$846 $846

77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$2,972 $2,972

-10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,989 $3,989

$7,283 $7,283

-45.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,666 $3,666

$3,377 $3,377

8.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,613 $3,613

$2,704 $2,704

33.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.55

-2.44%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4%

San Juan

$846 37.6% 43.7% $656

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6%

San Juan

$417 18.5% 7.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3%

San Juan

$466 20.7% 32.3% $114

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2%

San Juan

$265 11.8% 24.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6%

San Juan

$154 6.8% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5%

San Juan

$62 2.8% 37.6% $38

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5%

San Juan

$43 1.9% 1.4% $0.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,900 in Ontario, CA and $1,802 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ontario, CA pays 34% 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: $78.0 in Ontario, CA vs $82.0 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $417 per month, with Ontario, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ontario, CA San Juan 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, CA
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

Ontario, CA vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Ontario, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,900 in Ontario, CA versus $1,802 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Ontario, CA versus $821 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ontario, CA pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. San Juan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, San Juan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ontario, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Ontario, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.