Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Aguadilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadilla: $1,061 a month against $2,253 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Juan
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$2,253
/mo nomad
Aguadilla
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,061
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in San Juan vs $1,061 in Aguadilla, rent included.

  • San Juan $2,253
  • Aguadilla $1,061

A couple spends around $3,373 per month in San Juan vs $1,730 in Aguadilla, rent included.

  • San Juan $3,373
  • Aguadilla $1,730

A family of three spends $4,494 per month in San Juan vs $2,398 in Aguadilla, rent included.

  • San Juan $4,494
  • Aguadilla $2,398

San Juan costs about 112% more than Aguadilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Juan sits 67% above the global median, while Aguadilla is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.43 $19.43
$12.05 $12.05
61.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.3 $82.3
$59.4 $59.4
38.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 $9.43
$8.97 $8.97
5.13%
Cappuccino
$3.56 $3.56
$1.48 $1.48
140.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.25 $1.25
46.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 $1.45
$0.98 $0.98
47.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.91 $2.91
4.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 $5.13
$4.04 $4.04
26.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.92 $1.92
14.06%
White Bread (500g)
$3.69 $3.69
$3.70 $3.70
-0.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$2.33 $2.33
1.29%
Eggs
$7.33 $7.33
$7.31 $7.31
0.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.75 $12.75
$12.58 $12.58
1.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.55 $9.55
$9.68 $9.68
-1.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.21 $13.21
$13.36 $13.36
-1.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.13 $5.13
$5.01 $5.01
2.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.54 $2.54
4.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.00 $5.00
$4.94 $4.94
1.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$4.69 $4.69
4.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.71 $3.71
$3.85 $3.85
-3.64%
Onion (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.99 $3.99
-2.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.53 $3.53
$3.52 $3.52
0.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.58 $1.58
1.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.78 $11.78
$12.12 $12.12
-2.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.84 $15.84
$15.56 $15.56
1.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$3.01 $3.01
1.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 $4.10
$3.90 $3.90
5.13%
🚌 Getting Around
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
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
$2.45 $2.45
3.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.49 $1.49
-2.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.26 $42.26
$42.66 $42.66
-0.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.01 $1.01
22.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K $40.3K
$39.5K $39.5K
2.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$27.7K $27.7K
0.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 $327
$120 $120
173.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$69.6 $69.6
-1.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$68.5 $68.5
2.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.46 $41.46
$35.39 $35.39
17.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.70 $7.70
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.40 $10.40
$10.48 $10.48
-0.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$821 $821
$822 $822
-0.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K $12.5K
$12.7K $12.7K
-1.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 $56.1
$55.4 $55.4
1.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.4 $61.4
$60.7 $60.7
1.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$110 $110
-0.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 $116
$115 $115
0.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 $1,802
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$846 $846
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,972 $2,972
$1,973 $1,973
50.57%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Juan
Aguadilla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,704 $2,704
$1,324 $1,324
104.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
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 Aguadilla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Juan
$846
Aguadilla
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
$466
Aguadilla
$258 44.7% $208
Groceries & Markets
San Juan
$417
Aguadilla
$411 1.5% $6.1
Eating Out
San Juan
$265
Aguadilla
$173 34.8% $92
Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
$154
Aguadilla
$153 0.3% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
$62
Aguadilla
$56 9.5% $5.9
Getting Around
San Juan
$43
Aguadilla
$9.9 * 76.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 104% higher in San Juan, 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 $82.0 in San Juan versus $59.0 in Aguadilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $411 – making Aguadilla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 San Juan
🇵🇷 Aguadilla
🕒 Local time
13:28 1:28 PM
13:28 1:28 PM
Same time as San Juan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,854 Capital
10,919
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Juan Aguadilla 110 km
From you
  • San Juan
  • Aguadilla

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 Aguadilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aguadilla cheaper than San Juan?
Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,379 per month in San Juan and $1,592 in Aguadilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in San Juan or in Aguadilla?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in San Juan and $59.0 in Aguadilla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in San Juan and in Aguadilla?
Groceries cost about 1% more in San Juan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in San Juan or in Aguadilla?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aguadilla, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in San Juan at $2,253. In Aguadilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Juan or Aguadilla more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Aguadilla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, San Juan or Aguadilla?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Aguadilla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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