Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Fortaleza Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Fortaleza

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $800 per month in San Juan vs $823 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,291 per month in San Juan vs $1,279 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,782 per month in San Juan vs $1,736 in Fortaleza, rent included.

San Juan is about 3% cheaper than Fortaleza, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both San Juan and Fortaleza are more affordable than the global median – San Juan 40% lower, Fortaleza 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ₱167

$5.51 R$28.18

-50.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.83 ₱542

$34.58 R$177

-74.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.65 ₱224

$6.74 R$34.48

-45.85%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ₱176

$2.09 R$10.71

36.84%

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

$0.81 ₱49.83

$1.15 R$5.86

-29.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱26.87

$0.63 R$3.25

-30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 ₱92.0

$2.00 R$10.22

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱124

$3.69 R$18.88

-45.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱111

$1.09 R$5.57

65.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ₱99.6

$1.89 R$9.68

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱57.1

$1.14 R$5.84

-18.42%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱123

$1.75 R$8.95

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 ₱484

$7.23 R$37.01

8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 ₱309

$3.20 R$16.40

57.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 ₱665

$8.09 R$41.42

33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ₱147

$2.55 R$13.03

-6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱93.3

$1.15 R$5.89

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 ₱194

$0.74 R$3.81

325.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱73.5

$1.53 R$7.82

-21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 ₱103

$1.31 R$6.70

28.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₱211

$1.07 R$5.46

220.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱65.1

$0.88 R$4.49

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱53.9

$0.76 R$3.91

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱179

$2.14 R$10.95

36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 ₱484

$6.94 R$35.51

13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₱45.56

$1.39 R$7.13

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₱96.5

$1.62 R$8.30

-3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ₱9.46

$0.83 R$4.27

-81.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.08 R$159

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱42.39

$1.10 R$5.61

-37.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.79

$0.75 R$3.86

-68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₱134

$6.10 R$31.19

-64.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱69.0

$1.10 R$5.61

1.82%

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

$28.7K ₱1.8M

$19.9K R$101.8K

44.28%

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

$17.4K ₱1.1M

$27.1K R$138.6K

-35.63%

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

$130 ₱7,962

$109 R$556

19.30%

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

$33.03 ₱2,028

$15.53 R$79.5

112.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.53 ₱1,629

$18.27 R$93.5

45.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 ₱4,284

$22.41 R$115

211.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.51 ₱277

$42.63 R$218

-89.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 ₱247

$6.21 R$31.76

-35.10%

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

$145 ₱8,901

$224 R$1,148

-35.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,273 ₱262.3K

$2,156 R$11.0K

98.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.93 ₱2,759

$47.96 R$245

-6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.70 ₱2,069

$44.51 R$228

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 ₱4,240

$90.3 R$462

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₱6,961

$58.7 R$301

93.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.1K

$322 R$1,646

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 ₱6,408

$201 R$1,028

-48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 ₱78.5K

$377 R$1,929

239.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₱24.3K

$342 R$1,749

15.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,341 ₱143.8K

$2,583 R$13.2K

-9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,048 ₱64.3K

$1,158 R$5,927

-9.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱14.8K

$474 R$2,426

-49.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

11.79

-47.67%

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

Last update for San Juan: July 27, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in San Juan versus $322 in Fortaleza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 96% higher in Fortaleza, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in San Juan versus $35.00 in Fortaleza. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in San Juan vs $176 in Fortaleza – so Fortaleza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

San Juan vs Fortaleza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fortaleza costs about 3% more than San Juan, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,200 per month in San Juan and $1,234 in Fortaleza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in San Juan and $35.00 in Fortaleza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Fortaleza – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $800 in San Juan and $823 in Fortaleza, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $800 versus $823 in Fortaleza. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fortaleza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.