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: $1,415 in Puerto Rico versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Puerto Rico versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,941 in Puerto Rico versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 97% more expensive than in China on average.

Puerto Rico (3% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.97 $13.97

$2.93 ¥19.60

376.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$22.72 ¥152

255.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$5.07 ¥33.95

96.25%

Cappuccino

$3.35 $3.35

$2.94 ¥19.70

13.95%

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

$1.67 $1.67

$0.48 ¥3.21

247.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.30 ¥2.02

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.06 ¥7.10

187.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.25 ¥15.08

73.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.79 ¥11.99

21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.70 ¥11.35

88.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.96 ¥6.45

139.58%

Eggs

$5.74 $5.74

$1.61 ¥10.79

256.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$13.60 ¥91.1

-21.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$3.41 ¥22.84

150.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$11.07 ¥74.2

10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.81 ¥12.09

157.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.30 ¥8.74

120.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.48 ¥9.91

207.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.30 ¥8.72

258.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$0.72 ¥4.82

390.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.94 ¥6.31

235.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$0.61 ¥4.08

368.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.56 ¥3.73

223.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.14 $12.14

$3.67 ¥24.58

230.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.90 ¥79.7

29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.83 ¥5.56

178.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.65 ¥11.08

107.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.29 ¥1.92

320.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.13 $30.13

$22.61 ¥151

33.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.45 ¥9.72

75.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.34 ¥2.31

347.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 $41.24

$7.27 ¥48.72

467.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.23 ¥8.26

-21.14%

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

$39.6K $39.6K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

102.44%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

75.64%

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

$292 $292

$55.5 ¥371

426.70%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$8.51 ¥57.0

709.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$10.81 ¥72.4

577.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.51 $32.51

$40.02 ¥268

-18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$14.80 ¥99.1

-4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 $10.10

$6.73 ¥45.10

50.07%

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

$686 $686

$454 ¥3,042

51.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.95 ¥301

20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$35.81 ¥240

45.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$76.8 ¥514

18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$77.3 ¥518

31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 $1,021

$385 ¥2,581

165.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$242 ¥1,623

184.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 $2,005

$837 ¥5,604

139.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$474 ¥3,178

169.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,873 $5,873

$4,619 ¥30.9K

27.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$2,316 ¥15.5K

3.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,684 $2,684

$1,062 ¥7,111

152.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.47

86.17%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $376 in Puerto Rico, $295 in China. Capital cities: $1,809 in San Juan vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,383 in Puerto Rico, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Puerto Rico.

Dining out costs 238% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 175% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

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 $852 per month in China and $1,133 in Puerto Rico, there's a 33% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.