Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayey: $2,156 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Cayey
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Cayey Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Cayey

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,520 in San Juan versus $2,156 in Cayey.

San Juan $2,520
Cayey $2,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in San Juan versus $3,430 in Cayey.

San Juan $3,581
Cayey $3,430

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in San Juan versus $4,704 in Cayey.

San Juan $4,641
Cayey $4,704

Living in San Juan is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cayey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 86% above, Cayey 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$19.05 $19.05

2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$83.6 $83.6

-0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$9.04 $9.04

1.44%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.52 $3.52

0.57%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$1.83 $1.83

4.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.49 $1.49

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.98 $2.98

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.12 $5.12

-3.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.61 $3.61

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.35 $2.35

3.83%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$7.33 $7.33

2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$12.51 $12.51

-0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.59 $9.59

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.27 $13.27

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.09 $5.09

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.65 $2.65

0.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.79 $4.79

4.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.88 $4.88

-3.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.73 $3.73

1.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.04 $4.04

-4.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.37 $3.37

-0.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.57 $1.57

2.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.22 $12.22

-1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$15.40 $15.40

2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.13 $3.13

-1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.96 $3.96

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 $0.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.55 $2.55

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.52 $1.52

-3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$41.65 $41.65

1.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

0.93%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$27.6K $27.6K

1.77%

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

$322 $322

$318 $318

1.07%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$70.5 $70.5

-3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.7 $69.7

0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

$40.63 $40.63

-0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$10.09 $10.09

3.67%

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

$814 $814

$812 $812

0.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.5K $12.5K

-6.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$57.0 $57.0

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$60.8 $60.8

2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$108 $108

1.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$113 $113

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$1,215 $1,215

64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$801 $801

40.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

$2,414 $2,414

45.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$1,784 $1,784

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 $7,463

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,563 $4,563

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 $3,096

$3,643 $3,643

-15.01%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cayey: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

Cayey

$801 37.2% 28.7% $323

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

Cayey

$458 21.3% 0.3% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

Cayey

$413 19.2% 0.2% $0.9

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

Cayey

$260 12.1% 1.8% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

Cayey

$153 7.1% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

Cayey

$61 2.8% 1.1% $0.7

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

Cayey

$10 * 0.5% 76.5% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,994 in San Juan and $1,215 in Cayey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayey pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83 in San Juan vs $84 in Cayey. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $413, with Cayey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Cayey

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

13,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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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 Cayey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,520 in San Juan and $2,156 in Cayey, so Cayey is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in San Juan. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,994 in San Juan versus $1,215 in Cayey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $814 in San Juan versus $812 in Cayey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,520 per month in San Juan versus $2,156 in Cayey – Cayey is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cayey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.