Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Bayamon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayamon: $2,080 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Bayamon
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Bayamon Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Bayamon

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,500 in San Juan versus $2,080 in Bayamon.

San Juan $2,500
Bayamon $2,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in San Juan versus $3,123 in Bayamon.

San Juan $3,548
Bayamon $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,596 in San Juan versus $4,166 in Bayamon.

San Juan $4,596
Bayamon $4,166

Living in San Juan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Bayamon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 84% above, Bayamon 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 $81.9

$82.4 $82.4

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.00 $9.00

2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$3.37 $3.37

5.93%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$1.85 $1.85

-1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.37 $1.37

10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.96 $2.96

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.90 $3.90

25.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.14 $2.14

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.51 $3.51

4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.27 $2.27

7.93%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$5.39 $5.39

35.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$10.93 $10.93

13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.88 $7.88

23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$11.31 $11.31

18.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.70 $4.70

5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.63 $2.63

0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.60 $4.60

6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.94 $4.94

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.73 $2.73

35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.07 $4.07

-5.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.53 $1.53

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$11.14 $11.14

5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$15.85 $15.85

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.61 $2.61

20.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.43 $3.43

14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.04 $2.04

-61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.28 $30.28

$12.06 $12.06

151.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.47 $2.47

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.47 $1.47

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.10 $42.10

$41.60 $41.60

1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.14 $1.14

3.51%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$35.3K $35.3K

-1.45%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

1.90%

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

$320 $320

$221 $221

44.74%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$69.3 $69.3

-1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$59.9 $59.9

18.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$24.58 $24.58

67.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 $10.43

$9.97 $9.97

4.61%

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

$836 $836

$814 $814

2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$12.7K $12.7K

-1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$25.13 $25.13

127.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$109 $109

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$49.28 $49.28

132.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$1,014 $1,014

90.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

$917 $917

20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,515 $3,515

$1,635 $1,635

114.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$1,551 $1,551

3.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,447 $7,447

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,654 $4,654

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,719 $2,719

$2,037 $2,037

33.46%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Bayamon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

Bayamon

$917 44.1% 17.3% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$459 18.4%

Bayamon

$350 16.8% 23.8% $109

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.6%

Bayamon

$376 18.1% 9.2% $38

Eating Out

San Juan

$258 10.3%

Bayamon

$253 12.2% 2.1% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.2%

Bayamon

$110 5.3% 28.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.5%

Bayamon

$45 2.1% 28.1% $17

Getting Around

San Juan

$44 1.7%

Bayamon

$30 1.4% 31% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,934 in San Juan and $1,014 in Bayamon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in San Juan vs $82 in Bayamon. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $376, with Bayamon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Bayamon

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

165,368

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Bayamon 8 km

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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 Bayamon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bayamon is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,934 in San Juan versus $1,014 in Bayamon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $836 in San Juan versus $814 in Bayamon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Bayamon runs roughly 60% less than in San Juan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,080 in Bayamon versus $2,500 in San Juan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bayamon but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Bayamon 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bayamon wins on affordability, San Juan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.