Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Aguada

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguada: $1,184 a month against $2,253 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Aguada
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Aguada Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,253

/mo nomad

Aguada

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Aguada

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Juan and in Aguada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in San Juan versus $1,184 in Aguada.

San Juan $2,253
Aguada $1,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,373 in San Juan versus $1,222 in Aguada.

San Juan $3,373
Aguada $1,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in San Juan versus $1,261 in Aguada.

San Juan $4,494
Aguada $1,261

Living in San Juan is roughly 90% more expensive than in Aguada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 67% above, Aguada is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.43 $19.43

$10.88 $10.88

78.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 $82.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$11.94 $11.94

-21.02%

Cappuccino

$3.56 $3.56

$2.02 $2.02

76.24%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$2.05 $2.05

-10.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.01 $1.01

43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.53 $1.53

98.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.98 $2.98

72.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.80 $1.80

21.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.55 $2.55

44.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Eggs

$7.33 $7.33

$4.22 $4.22

73.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 $3.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 $0.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.97 $29.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.86 $0.86

44.19%

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

$40.3K $40.3K

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

$27.7K $27.7K

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

$327 $327

$256 $256

27.56%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$58.9 $58.9

15.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.46 $41.46

$54.8 $54.8

-24.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.70 $7.70

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 $10.40

$5.98 $5.98

73.91%

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

$821 $821

$502 $502

63.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$34.61 $34.61

62.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 $61.4

$39.65 $39.65

54.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$79.9 $79.9

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$100 $100

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$506 $506

255.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 $846

$454 $454

86.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,283 $7,283

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,377 $3,377

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,704 $2,704

$2,214 $2,214

22.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for San Juan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aguada: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$846 37.6%

Aguada

$454 38.3% 46.4% $392

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$466 20.7%

Aguada

$315 * 26.6% 32.3% $151

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$417 18.5%

Aguada

$60 * 5.1% 85.5% $357

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 11.8%

Aguada

$173 14.6% 34.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.8%

Aguada

$114 9.7% 25.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.8%

Aguada

$67 5.6% 7.2% $4.5

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Aguada

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,802 in San Juan and $506 in Aguada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Aguada

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

41,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Aguada 110 km

From you

San Juan
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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

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

San Juan and Aguada differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,184 including rent). Aguada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in San Juan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,802 in San Juan versus $506 in Aguada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $821 in San Juan versus $502 in Aguada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in San Juan versus $1,184 in Aguada – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,184 in Aguada versus $2,253 in San Juan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aguada but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Aguada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, San Juan and Aguada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aguada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.