Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Rico: $1,938 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Rico and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in Puerto Rico versus $2,701 in the United States.

Puerto Rico $1,938
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,984 in Puerto Rico versus $3,980 in the United States.

Puerto Rico $2,984
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,029 in Puerto Rico versus $5,258 in the United States.

Puerto Rico $4,029
United States $5,258

Living in Puerto Rico costs about 28% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Puerto Rico 44% above, the United States 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.20 $15.20

$19.92 $19.92

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$81.0 $81.0

-2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$12.07 $12.07

-17.48%

Cappuccino

$3.48 $3.48

$5.55 $5.55

-37.30%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$2.67 $2.67

-35.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.09 $2.09

-32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$5.96 $5.96

-50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$7.76 $7.76

-40.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.05 $1.05

106.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.55 $3.55

-4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$4.64 $4.64

-50.22%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$4.18 $4.18

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$12.76 $12.76

-11.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 $8.33

$12.63 $12.63

-34.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$17.22 $17.22

-28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.15 $5.15

-13.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.64 $1.64

62.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.46 $4.46

-1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.98 $4.98

-11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.84 $2.84

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.09 $3.09

2.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.19 $2.19

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.27 $2.27

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.61 $10.61

12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$14.71 $14.71

4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.10 $2.10

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.82 $3.82

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.35 $2.35

-47.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.45 $30.45

$64.1 $64.1

-52.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.57 $3.57

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.85 $1.85

-16.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.38 $42.38

$30.19 $30.19

40.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.07 $1.07

0.93%

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

$40.1K $40.1K

$35.3K $35.3K

13.52%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

13.75%

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

$294 $294

$217 $217

35.52%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$61.4 $61.4

9.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$74.4 $74.4

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$45.08 $45.08

-35.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 $14.06

$23.07 $23.07

-39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 $10.07

$14.79 $14.79

-31.91%

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

$725 $725

$1,480 $1,480

-51.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-54.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$53.0 $53.0

7.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.49 $48.49

$42.75 $42.75

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$94.3 $94.3

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$115 $115

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 $1,087

$1,678 $1,678

-35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 $667

$1,313 $1,313

-49.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$2,649 $2,649

-21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$2,183 $2,183

-40.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,538 $5,538

$3,374 $3,374

64.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$2,661 $2,661

-6.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,751 $2,751

$4,404 $4,404

-37.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 96.8% $646

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3%

United States

$352 13% 18.6% $80

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6%

United States

$411 15.2% 8.3% $31

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9%

United States

$327 12.1% 42.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9%

United States

$137 5.1% 2.7% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5%

United States

$75 2.8% 52% $26

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4%

United States

$86 3.2% 89.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $316 in Puerto Rico, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $1,802 in San Juan vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,566 in Puerto Rico, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 409% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 440% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 77% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,285,874

340,110,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Puerto Rico vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,938 per month in Puerto Rico and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 39% 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 cheaper in Puerto Rico: 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 $1,609 in the United States and $316 in Puerto Rico. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.