Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Isabela: $1,258 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
Learn more

San Juan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Isabela
Learn more

Isabela Living Index

Jump to prices

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Isabela

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,520 in San Juan versus $1,258 in Isabela.

San Juan $2,520
Isabela $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in San Juan versus $1,974 in Isabela.

San Juan $3,581
Isabela $1,974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in San Juan versus $2,690 in Isabela.

San Juan $4,641
Isabela $2,690

Living in San Juan is roughly 100% more expensive than in Isabela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 86% above, Isabela is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$19.01 $19.01

3.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$81.5 $81.5

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$8.95 $8.95

2.46%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.62 $3.62

-2.21%

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

$1.91 $1.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.02 $3.02

-2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.09 $5.09

-2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.97 $1.97

12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.81 $2.81

27.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.21 $1.21

101.65%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$2.95 $2.95

155.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$10.82 $10.82

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$6.46 $6.46

45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.50 $13.50

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.37 $4.37

15.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.62 $2.62

1.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.89 $4.89

2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.71 $4.71

-0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.85 $3.85

-2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.07 $4.07

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.52 $3.52

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.64 $1.64

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$11.76 $11.76

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$15.43 $15.43

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.99 $2.99

3.34%

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

$2.46 $2.46

0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.54 $1.54

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$41.55 $41.55

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.88 $0.88

43.18%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.8K $34.8K

1.52%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

-0.06%

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

$322 $322

$315 $315

2.16%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$68.8 $68.8

-0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$70.2 $70.2

-0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$10.38 $10.38

0.77%

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

$814 $814

$837 $837

-2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.7K $12.7K

-7.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$56.7 $56.7

-0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$61.7 $61.7

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$110 $110

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$115 $115

-2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

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

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 Isabela: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

Isabela

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

Isabela

$454 36.1% 1.3% $6

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

Isabela

$358 28.4% 13.6% $56

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

Isabela

$261 20.8% 1.4% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

Isabela

$154 12.3% 0.8% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

Isabela

$21 * 1.7% 66.3% $41

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

Isabela

$10 * 0.8% 76.5% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $83 in San Juan vs $81 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $358 per month, with Isabela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Isabela

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

45,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Isabela 96 km

From you

San Juan
Isabela

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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in San Juan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,781 in San Juan and $1,887 in Isabela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $2,520 per month in San Juan versus $1,258 in Isabela – Isabela is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in San Juan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Isabela is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.