Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Caguas: $1,613 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Caguas
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Caguas Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Caguas

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in San Juan vs $1,613 in Caguas, rent included.

San Juan $2,520
Caguas $1,613

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in San Juan vs $2,583 in Caguas, rent included.

San Juan $3,581
Caguas $2,583

A family of three spends $4,641 per month in San Juan vs $3,552 in Caguas, rent included.

San Juan $4,641
Caguas $3,552

San Juan costs about 56% more than Caguas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Juan and Caguas sit above the global median – San Juan by 86%, Caguas by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$15.03 $15.03

30.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$84.4 $84.4

-1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$8.63 $8.63

6.26%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$2.27 $2.27

55.95%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$1.11 $1.11

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.17 $1.17

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.52 $1.52

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.04 $4.04

22.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.82 $2.82

26.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.25 $2.25

8.44%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$4.79 $4.79

57.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$6.72 $6.72

85.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.21 $9.21

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$11.77 $11.77

13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.02 $5.02

0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.46 $2.46

102.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.28 $4.28

9.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.52 $2.52

49.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.70 $2.70

42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.26 $2.26

48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.63 $1.63

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.40 $10.40

15.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$13.76 $13.76

14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.44 $1.44

114.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.22 $2.22

81.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 $0.72

$2.02 $2.02

-64.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

$70.2 $70.2

-56.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.46 $1.46

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$41.54 $41.54

1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.92 $0.92

36.96%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$30.2K $30.2K

16.98%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

8.54%

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

$322 $322

$190 $190

69.47%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$58.8 $58.8

16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.0 $56.0

24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

$34.23 $34.23

18.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

$49.03 $49.03

-84.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$9.82 $9.82

6.52%

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

$814 $814

$299 $299

172.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.1K $12.1K

-3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$25.95 $25.95

118.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$35.63 $35.63

74.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$79.0 $79.0

38.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$116 $116

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$751 $751

165.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$522 $522

115.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

$1,113 $1,113

214.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$993 $993

64.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 $7,463

$2,369 $2,369

215.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,563 $4,563

$859 $859

430.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 $3,096

$3,014 $3,014

2.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.85

35.05%

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

Last update for San Juan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Caguas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

Caguas

$522 32.3% 53.6% $602

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

Caguas

$305 18.9% 33.8% $155

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

Caguas

$332 20.6% 19.8% $82

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

Caguas

$198 12.3% 25.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

Caguas

$115 7.1% 24.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

Caguas

$54 3.3% 12.4% $7.6

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

Caguas

$88 5.5% 104% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,994 in San Juan versus $751 in Caguas. 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 3% 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 $83 in San Juan versus $84 in Caguas. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in San Juan vs $332 in Caguas – so Caguas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Caguas

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

70,318

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Juan Caguas 27 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 Caguas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 56% more than Caguas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,781 per month in San Juan and $2,420 in Caguas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caguas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $751 there versus $1,994 in San Juan.

Public transport costs about 56% less in San Juan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 25% more in San Juan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caguas, where all-in costs run around $1,613, than in San Juan at $2,520. In Caguas it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caguas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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