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

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Puerto Rico versus $1,689 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Puerto Rico versus $2,496 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,941 in Puerto Rico versus $3,303 in Spain.

Living in Puerto Rico costs about 16% less than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Puerto Rico 3% above, Spain 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.97 $13.97

$17.71 €15.34

-21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$57.6 €49.83

40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$11.81 €10.22

-15.75%

Cappuccino

$3.35 $3.35

$2.43 €2.11

37.86%

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

$1.67 $1.67

$2.76 €2.39

-39.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.84 €1.59

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.52 €3.04

-13.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.16 €3.60

-6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.21 €1.05

79.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.54 €1.33

108.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.64 €1.42

40.24%

Eggs

$5.74 $5.74

$3.59 €3.11

59.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.81 €12.83

-28.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$8.49 €7.35

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$16.68 €14.44

-26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.53 €2.19

84.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.09 €1.81

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.13 €1.85

113.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.55 €2.21

82.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.82 €1.58

93.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.00 €1.73

57.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.37 €1.19

108.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.81 €0.71

123.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.14 $12.14

$6.71 €5.81

80.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.46 $15.46

$5.64 €4.89

174.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.29 €1.12

79.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.10 €1.82

63.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.76 €1.52

-30.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.13 $30.13

$34.25 €29.65

-12.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.55 €3.94

-43.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.47 €1.28

3.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 $41.24

$25.66 €22.21

60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.79 €1.55

-45.81%

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

$39.6K $39.6K

$36.4K €31.5K

8.72%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$30.6K €26.5K

-0.99%

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

$292 $292

$152 €132

91.98%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$18.49 €16.01

272.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$33.57 €29.06

118.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.51 $32.51

$47.38 €41.02

-31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$15.56 €13.47

-9.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 $10.10

$9.96 €8.62

1.41%

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

$686 $686

$548 €475

25.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$10.8K €9,383

5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$90.1 €78.0

-39.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$37.31 €32.30

40.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$92.0 €79.7

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$111 €96.5

-8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 $1,021

$1,049 €909

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$836 €723

-17.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 $2,005

$1,663 €1,439

20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$1,250 €1,082

2.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,873 $5,873

$4,240 €3,671

38.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$2,711 €2,347

-11.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,684 $2,684

$2,021 €1,750

32.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.28

96.95%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: September 5, 2026

Last update for Spain: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $376 in Puerto Rico, $931 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,809 in San Juan vs $1,577 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,383 in Puerto Rico, $2,035 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 148% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 20% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 343% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 17% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,133 per month in Puerto Rico and $1,823 in Spain, there's a 61% 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 Puerto Rico: 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 Spain is consistently higher than in Puerto Rico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Spain 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: Puerto Rico wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.