Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Puerto Rico versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,384 in Puerto Rico versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,200 in Puerto Rico versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 120% more expensive than China on average.

Puerto Rico (17% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Puerto Rico: monthly costs span $1,082 to $2,404, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Puerto Rico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$2.75 ¥18.83

440.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$24.03 ¥165

213.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.96 ¥33.95

84.27%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.12 ¥21.37

6.73%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$0.48 ¥3.26

229.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.27 ¥1.84

370.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.98 ¥6.73

170.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.15 ¥14.69

83.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.83 ¥12.53

13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.68 ¥11.54

82.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.91 ¥6.21

145.05%

Eggs

$5.02 $5.02

$1.56 ¥10.66

221.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 $9.33

$12.97 ¥88.9

-28.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 $8.52

$3.25 ¥22.23

162.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.51 ¥72.0

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.81 ¥12.41

184.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.30 ¥8.90

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.50 ¥10.26

156.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.15 ¥7.87

296.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.76 ¥5.20

306.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.89 ¥6.07

213.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.58 ¥3.97

355.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.58 ¥3.95

227.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 $10.91

$3.50 ¥23.95

211.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$11.55 ¥79.1

32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.78 ¥5.31

202.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.61 ¥11.03

107.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.44 ¥3.01

286.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.32 $40.32

$21.15 ¥145

90.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.36 ¥9.35

331.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.36 ¥2.44

180.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.24 $27.24

$6.61 ¥45.28

312.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.13 ¥7.74

-17.70%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

79.36%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

62.07%

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

$299 $299

$50.9 ¥349

487.43%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$10.03 ¥68.7

620.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$11.33 ¥77.6

506.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 $34.38

$40.13 ¥275

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.16 $33.16

$14.97 ¥103

121.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 $8.87

$6.09 ¥41.74

45.65%

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

$424 $424

$418 ¥2,860

1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,525 $7,525

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-56.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.05 $48.05

$46.40 ¥318

3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 $45.64

$32.92 ¥226

38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 $84.6

$71.1 ¥487

18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$72.9 ¥499

35.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 $819

$438 ¥3,003

86.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 $611

$259 ¥1,775

135.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$926 ¥6,341

69.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 $1,114

$548 ¥3,754

103.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,029 $5,029

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-0.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,906 $1,906

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-28.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,074 ¥7,357

146.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

4.06

38.42%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $429 in Puerto Rico, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,568 in San Juan vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,318 in Puerto Rico, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in Puerto Rico.

Dining out costs 252% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 178% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,743 in Puerto Rico, there's a 100% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Puerto Rico beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Puerto Rico, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Puerto Rico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.