Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Rico: $1,938 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Rico and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in Puerto Rico vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

Puerto Rico $1,938
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $2,984 per month in Puerto Rico vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

Puerto Rico $2,984
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $4,029 per month in Puerto Rico vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

Puerto Rico $4,029
Australia $4,893

The cost of living in Puerto Rico is roughly 24% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Puerto Rico and Australia are pricier than the global median – Puerto Rico by 44%, Australia by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.20 $15.20

$17.16 A$24.69

-11.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$83.9 A$121

-5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$11.20 A$16.12

-11.07%

Cappuccino

$3.48 $3.48

$3.92 A$5.64

-11.22%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$2.83 A$4.07

-39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.30 A$3.31

-38.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$7.68 A$11.06

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$8.25 A$11.87

-44.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.76 A$2.53

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.77 A$3.99

22.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.19 A$3.16

5.48%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$4.99 A$7.18

18.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$9.94 A$14.31

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 $8.33

$9.03 A$12.99

-7.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$15.25 A$21.94

-19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.67 A$5.28

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.05 A$4.39

-12.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.12 A$4.50

40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.56 A$6.56

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.81 A$4.04

26.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.39 A$3.44

32.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.35 A$3.39

24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.64 A$2.36

13.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$38.42 A$55.3

-68.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$13.77 A$19.82

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.69 A$6.75

-49.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$5.08 A$7.31

-28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.72 A$3.91

-54.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.45 $30.45

$95.8 A$138

-68.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.54 A$5.10

-27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.55 A$2.23

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.38 $42.38

$40.00 A$57.6

5.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.30 A$1.87

-16.92%

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

$40.1K $40.1K

$28.2K A$40.5K

42.21%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$28.5K A$40.9K

3.53%

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

$294 $294

$198 A$285

48.05%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$28.75 A$41.37

132.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$58.6 A$84.4

23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$56.7 A$81.6

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 $14.06

$19.08 A$27.46

-26.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 $10.07

$15.02 A$21.62

-32.96%

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

$725 $725

$2,154 A$3,099

-66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$17.9K A$25.8K

-35.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$78.0 A$112

-26.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.49 $48.49

$54.8 A$78.8

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$112 A$161

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$124 A$179

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 $1,087

$1,540 A$2,215

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 $667

$1,222 A$1,758

-45.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$2,478 A$3,566

-15.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,930 A$2,778

-33.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,538 $5,538

$8,153 A$11.7K

-32.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$6,053 A$8,711

-58.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,751 $2,751

$3,944 A$5,676

-30.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.93

9.78%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 83% $554

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3%

Australia

$286 11.2% 34% $147

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6%

Australia

$370 14.6% 2.4% $9.2

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9%

Australia

$293 11.5% 27.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9%

Australia

$166 6.5% 24.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5%

Australia

$87 3.4% 76.7% $38

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4%

Australia

$118 4.6% 159% $72

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $316 in Puerto Rico vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,802 in San Juan and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,566 in Puerto Rico vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 332% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 17% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1400% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 50% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

00:41 12:41 AM

15 h ahead of Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,285,874

26,473,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Puerto Rico Australia 16,080 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Rico
Australia

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

Puerto Rico vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Rico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $316 in Puerto Rico.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Puerto Rico, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Puerto Rico is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.