Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Cabo Rojo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,236 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Rojo
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Cabo Rojo Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Cabo Rojo

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

A single person spends $2,500 per month in San Juan vs $1,236 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

San Juan $2,500
Cabo Rojo $1,236

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in San Juan vs $1,948 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

San Juan $3,548
Cabo Rojo $1,948

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in San Juan vs $2,660 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

San Juan $4,596
Cabo Rojo $2,660

San Juan costs about 102% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Juan sits 84% above the global median, while Cabo Rojo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$10.19 $10.19

84.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 $81.9

$83.4 $83.4

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.78 $8.78

5.13%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$3.63 $3.63

-1.65%

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

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.51 $1.51

93.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.41 $3.41

43.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.15 $2.15

0.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.73 $3.73

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.34 $2.34

4.70%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$7.32 $7.32

-0.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$9.79 $9.79

-0.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$13.09 $13.09

1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.88 $4.88

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.79 $4.79

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.83 $3.83

-3.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.89 $3.89

-0.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.55 $3.55

-3.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.66 $1.66

-0.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$11.81 $11.81

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$15.82 $15.82

-2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.13 $3.13

0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.02 $4.02

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.28 $30.28

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

$42.41 $42.41

-0.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.75 $0.75

57.33%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

1.83%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

1.35%

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

$320 $320

$325 $325

-1.53%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$65.1 $65.1

4.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.1 $69.1

3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 $10.43

$10.39 $10.39

0.38%

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

$836 $836

$818 $818

2.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$12.7K $12.7K

-1.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$55.6 $55.6

2.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.4 $60.4

1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$108 $108

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$114 $114

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,515 $3,515

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

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

$4,288 $4,288

-36.59%

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 Cabo Rojo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

Cabo Rojo

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$459 18.4%

Cabo Rojo

$459 37.1% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.6%

Cabo Rojo

$416 33.6% 0.4% $1.8

Eating Out

San Juan

$258 10.3%

Cabo Rojo

$179 14.5% 30.8% $80

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.2%

Cabo Rojo

$152 12.3% 1.6% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.5%

Cabo Rojo

$21 * 1.7% 66.4% $41

Getting Around

San Juan

$44 1.7%

Cabo Rojo

$9.8 * 0.8% 77.5% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 58% higher in Cabo Rojo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in San Juan versus $83 in Cabo Rojo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $416 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Cabo Rojo 120 km

From you

San Juan
Cabo Rojo

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 Cabo Rojo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 102% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in San Juan and $1,854 in Cabo Rojo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,500 in San Juan and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. That’s a gap of about 102%.

Kindergarten costs $836 per month in San Juan and $818 in Cabo Rojo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,500 in San Juan and $1,236 in Cabo Rojo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Juan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Cabo Rojo to $2,500 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.