Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Coamo: $1,710 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Coamo
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Coamo Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Coamo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,520 in San Juan versus $1,710 in Coamo.

San Juan $2,520
Coamo $1,710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in San Juan versus $2,676 in Coamo.

San Juan $3,581
Coamo $2,676

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in San Juan versus $3,642 in Coamo.

San Juan $4,641
Coamo $3,642

Living in San Juan is roughly 47% more expensive than in Coamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 86% above, Coamo 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$17.03 $17.03

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$80.5 $80.5

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$8.96 $8.96

2.34%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.69 $3.69

-4.07%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$1.82 $1.82

4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.92 $2.92

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.89 $4.89

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.97 $1.97

81.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.01 $1.01

141.58%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$4.84 $4.84

55.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$12.74 $12.74

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.85 $9.85

-4.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.46 $13.46

-0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.21 $5.21

-3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.67 $2.67

-0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.89 $4.89

2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.74 $4.74

-1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.83 $3.83

-1.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.03 $4.03

-4.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.94 $2.94

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.57 $1.57

2.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.10 $12.10

-0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$15.44 $15.44

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.40 $1.40

120.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.95 $1.95

106.15%

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

$2.43 $2.43

2.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.52 $1.52

-3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$42.19 $42.19

0.17%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

3.28%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$27.3K $27.3K

2.70%

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

$322 $322

$324 $324

-0.68%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$69.9 $69.9

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$70.4 $70.4

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$6.95 $6.95

50.50%

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

$814 $814

$827 $827

-1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.7K $12.7K

-8.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$56.1 $56.1

0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$61.1 $61.1

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$107 $107

2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$115 $115

-2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$654 $654

204.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$455 $455

147.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

$1,486 $1,486

135.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$951 $951

71.90%

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

$2,840 $2,840

9.04%

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 Coamo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

Coamo

$455 26.6% 59.5% $669

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

Coamo

$464 27.2% 0.9% $4.2

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

Coamo

$369 21.6% 10.8% $45

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

Coamo

$245 14.3% 7.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

Coamo

$153 8.9% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

Coamo

$14 * 0.8% 77.4% $48

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

Coamo

$10 * 0.6% 76.8% $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 $654 in Coamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83 in San Juan vs $81 in Coamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $369 per month, with Coamo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Coamo

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

40,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Juan Coamo 50 km

From you

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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 Coamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,520 in San Juan and $1,710 in Coamo, so Coamo is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,994 in San Juan versus $654 in Coamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $814 in San Juan versus $827 in Coamo. 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 $1,710 in Coamo – Coamo is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Coamo 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.

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