Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Italy

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,843 a month against $2,054 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Puerto Rico
Italy
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$2,054
/mo nomad
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Puerto Rico versus $1,843 in Italy.

  • Puerto Rico $2,054
  • Italy $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,047 in Puerto Rico versus $2,816 in Italy.

  • Puerto Rico $3,047
  • Italy $2,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,040 in Puerto Rico versus $3,788 in Italy.

  • Puerto Rico $4,040
  • Italy $3,788

Puerto Rico ($1,068–$2,500) and Italy ($1,038–$2,555) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 11% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Puerto Rico 51% above, Italy 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.25 $15.25
$20.46 €18.29
-25.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.9 $78.9
$79.5 €71.1
-0.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.20 $10.20
$11.15 €9.97
-8.52%
Cappuccino
$3.53 $3.53
$2.04 €1.82
73.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$3.10 €2.77
-46.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.40 €1.25
-3.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.97 $2.97
$5.51 €4.93
-46.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 $4.61
$5.74 €5.13
-19.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.57 €1.41
38.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.38 €2.13
38.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.90 €2.59
-23.79%
Eggs
$6.09 $6.09
$4.07 €3.64
49.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.17 $11.17
$17.44 €15.59
-35.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.38 $8.38
$12.56 €11.23
-33.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.46 $12.46
$20.17 €18.03
-38.23%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 $4.70
$2.58 €2.31
82.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.19 €1.96
21.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.68 €2.39
63.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$3.27 €2.92
40.37%
Potato (1kg)
$3.51 $3.51
$1.90 €1.70
84.74%
Onion (1kg)
$3.21 $3.21
$1.82 €1.62
76.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.97 $2.97
$1.57 €1.40
89.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$0.55 €0.49
227.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 $11.76
$6.69 €5.98
75.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.41 $15.41
$7.99 €7.14
92.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.77 €1.59
32.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 $3.57
$2.35 €2.10
51.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.91 €1.71
-53.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.39 $30.39
$43.44 €38.83
-30.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.45 $2.45
$5.62 €5.02
-56.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.71 €1.53
-10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.72 $41.72
$33.64 €30.07
24.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.03 €1.81
-48.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.7K $39.7K
$35.3K €31.6K
12.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.8K $28.8K
$36.7K €32.9K
-21.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$294 $294
$227 €203
29.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.6 $68.6
$11.59 €10.36
491.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$30.38 €27.16
134.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.85 $28.85
$51.8 €46.29
-44.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.72 $13.72
$23.70 €21.19
-42.11%
Cinema Ticket
$9.87 $9.87
$10.60 €9.48
-6.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$708 $708
$568 €507
24.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K $11.2K
$11.5K €10.3K
-2.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.5 $57.5
$90.5 €80.9
-36.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.49 $47.49
$38.55 €34.47
23.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 $93.4
$103 €91.8
-8.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.1 $98.1
$131 €117
-25.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,202 $1,202
$826 €738
45.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$782 $782
$646 €578
21.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,319 $2,319
$1,400 €1,252
65.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 $1,297
$1,054 €943
23.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,281 $6,281
$3,662 €3,274
71.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,615 $3,615
$2,301 €2,057
57.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Rico
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,811 $2,811
$1,886 €1,686
49.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
3.56
82.87%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Rico
$782
Italy
$646 17.4% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Rico
$434
Italy
$269 38.1% $165
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Rico
$381
Italy
$348 8.6% $33
Eating Out
Puerto Rico
$231
Italy
$279 20.6% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Rico
$133
Italy
$163 22.4% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Rico
$49
Italy
$73 50.2% $24
Getting Around
Puerto Rico
$44
Italy
$65 48.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Puerto Rico, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,934 in San Juan vs $1,297 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,576 in Puerto Rico, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 23% higher in Puerto Rico.

Salaries are 36% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
🇮🇹 Italy
🕒 Local time
13:11 1:11 PM
18:11 6:11 PM
5 h ahead of Puerto Rico
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,285,874
58,850,717
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Rico Italy 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Rico
  • Italy

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Puerto Rico?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $2,054 in Puerto Rico, Italy comes out about 10% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $898 in Puerto Rico and $729 in Italy. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to Puerto Rico?
It depends on what you’re after: Italy wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Puerto Rico vs other spots: cost of living compared

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