Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Candelaria: $1,327 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Candelaria
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Candelaria Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Candelaria

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,500 per month in San Juan vs $1,327 in Candelaria, rent included.

San Juan $2,500
Candelaria $1,327

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in San Juan vs $2,085 in Candelaria, rent included.

San Juan $3,548
Candelaria $2,085

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in San Juan vs $2,844 in Candelaria, rent included.

San Juan $4,596
Candelaria $2,844

San Juan costs about 88% more than Candelaria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

San Juan sits 84% above the global median, while Candelaria is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$19.01 $19.01

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 $81.9

$81.5 $81.5

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.21 $9.21

0.22%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$3.70 $3.70

-3.51%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$1.88 $1.88

-2.66%

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

$3.06 $3.06

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.97 $4.97

-1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.54 $3.54

3.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.33 $2.33

5.15%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$7.19 $7.19

1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$12.35 $12.35

0.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$9.91 $9.91

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$13.47 $13.47

-0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.11 $5.11

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.57 $2.57

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.82 $4.82

1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.87 $4.87

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.71 $3.71

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.97 $3.97

-2.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.38 $3.38

1.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.66 $1.66

-0.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$12.10 $12.10

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$15.81 $15.81

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.12 $3.12

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.09 $4.09

-3.67%

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

$2.46 $2.46

-0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.51 $1.51

1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.10 $42.10

$41.21 $41.21

2.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.17 $1.17

0.85%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

2.22%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

-0.77%

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

$320 $320

$326 $326

-1.95%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$68.8 $68.8

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.4 $69.4

2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 $10.43

$10.69 $10.69

-2.43%

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

$836 $836

$806 $806

3.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$12.3K $12.3K

1.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$55.7 $55.7

2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$61.3 $61.3

0.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$114 $114

0.28%

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

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 Candelaria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

Candelaria

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$459 18.4%

Candelaria

$464 35% 1.1% $5.1

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.6%

Candelaria

$415 31.3% 0.2% $0.9

Eating Out

San Juan

$258 10.3%

Candelaria

$263 19.8% 1.6% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.2%

Candelaria

$153 11.6% 0.7% $1

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.5%

Candelaria

$21 * 1.6% 65.5% $41

Getting Around

San Juan

$44 1.7%

Candelaria

$10 * 0.8% 77% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in San Juan versus $81 in Candelaria. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in San Juan vs $415 in Candelaria – so San Juan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Candelaria

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

17,631

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Candelaria 28 km

From you

San Juan
Candelaria

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 Candelaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,500 in San Juan, $1,327 in Candelaria – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in San Juan and $1,990 in Candelaria. 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 $1,327 in Candelaria. That’s a gap of about 88%.

Kindergarten costs $836 per month in San Juan and $806 in Candelaria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Candelaria, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in San Juan at $2,500. In Candelaria it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Juan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,327 in Candelaria to $2,500 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.