Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,054 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,054

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Puerto Rico versus $791 in China.

Puerto Rico $2,054
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,047 in Puerto Rico versus $1,251 in China.

Puerto Rico $3,047
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,040 in Puerto Rico versus $1,711 in China.

Puerto Rico $4,040
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Puerto Rico: monthly costs span $1,068 to $2,500, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Puerto Rico.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 160% more expensive than in China on average.

Puerto Rico (51% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$2.98 ¥19.77

411.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$22.09 ¥147

257.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$5.20 ¥34.53

96.15%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$2.97 ¥19.70

18.86%

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

$1.66 $1.66

$0.48 ¥3.18

245.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.30 ¥2.00

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.08 ¥7.16

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.28 ¥15.12

102.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.80 ¥11.93

21.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.68 ¥11.13

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.92 ¥6.12

140.22%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$1.61 ¥10.71

278.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$13.38 ¥88.9

-16.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 $8.38

$3.35 ¥22.23

150.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$11.35 ¥75.4

9.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.82 ¥12.10

158.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.31 ¥8.68

102.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.49 ¥9.87

193.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.27 ¥8.46

261.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$0.71 ¥4.72

394.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$0.93 ¥6.20

245.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.62 ¥4.11

379.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.56 ¥3.73

221.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$3.78 ¥25.10

211.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 $15.41

$12.13 ¥80.6

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.83 ¥5.53

183.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.68 ¥11.19

112.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.29 ¥1.91

206.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.39 $30.39

$17.83 ¥118

70.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.49 ¥9.87

64.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.37 ¥2.49

313.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 $41.72

$7.10 ¥47.14

487.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.26 ¥8.36

-17.46%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$19.4K ¥129.1K

104.25%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$17.5K ¥116.5K

64.14%

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

$294 $294

$54.6 ¥362

439.24%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$8.73 ¥58.0

685.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$11.07 ¥73.5

543.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.85 $28.85

$40.77 ¥271

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 $13.72

$14.48 ¥96.2

-5.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 $9.87

$6.78 ¥45.03

45.58%

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

$708 $708

$517 ¥3,431

37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K $11.2K

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-43.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$46.53 ¥309

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.49 $47.49

$35.66 ¥237

33.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$77.0 ¥511

21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 $98.1

$80.3 ¥533

22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 $1,202

$386 ¥2,562

211.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 $782

$235 ¥1,558

233.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 $2,319

$822 ¥5,458

182.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$453 ¥3,009

186.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,281 $6,281

$4,697 ¥31.2K

33.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,615 $3,615

$2,372 ¥15.8K

52.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,811 $2,811

$1,093 ¥7,260

157.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.46

88.15%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Rico

$782 38.1%

China

$235 29.6% 70% $548

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$434 21.1%

China

$74 9.4% 82.9% $360

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$381 18.5%

China

$210 26.5% 44.8% $171

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$231 11.3%

China

$88 11.1% 61.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$133 6.5%

China

$108 13.6% 19.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$49 2.4%

China

$54 6.9% 11.8% $5.7

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$44 2.1%

China

$22 2.8% 49.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Puerto Rico, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,934 in San Juan vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,576 in Puerto Rico, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 201% higher in Puerto Rico.

Dining out costs 245% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in Puerto Rico.

Salaries are about 3 times higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

07:24 7:24 AM

12 h ahead of Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,285,874

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Puerto Rico China 13,520 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Rico
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $2,054 in Puerto Rico, China comes out about 61% cheaper. 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $898 in Puerto Rico and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.