Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Isabela Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Isabela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in San Juan versus $1,324 in Isabela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in San Juan versus $1,940 in Isabela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,511 in San Juan versus $2,557 in Isabela.

Living in San Juan is roughly 84% more expensive than in Isabela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 83% above, Isabela is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.11 $19.11

$12.08 $12.08

58.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$60.2 $60.2

35.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 $9.73

$8.22 $8.22

18.37%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$3.68 $3.68

-1.36%

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

$1.72 $1.72

$1.27 $1.27

35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.28 $1.28

13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.32 $2.32

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.95 $3.95

13.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.98 $1.98

20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.86 $2.86

19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.25 $1.25

79.20%

Eggs

$5.96 $5.96

$3.05 $3.05

95.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$8.95 $8.95

0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$6.44 $6.44

30.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$12.73 $12.73

-0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$4.45 $4.45

28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.63 $2.63

4.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.80 $3.80

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.09 $4.09

-3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.91 $3.91

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.06 $3.06

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.02 $3.02

2.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.93 $1.93

-0.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$11.85 $11.85

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$15.33 $15.33

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.16 $3.16

2.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.61 $29.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.27 $15.27

-2.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.93 $0.93

2.15%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

3.41%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.06%

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

$484 $484

$495 $495

-2.23%

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

$79.6 $79.6

$77.6 $77.6

2.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 $46.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.54 $34.54

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$11.83 $11.83

1.94%

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

$473 $473

$476 $476

-0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$10.6K $10.6K

-1.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.48 $45.48

$46.32 $46.32

-1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 $57.1

$57.0 $57.0

0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$89.5 $89.5

0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$106 $106

-0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 $1,557

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,434 $2,434

$1,834 $1,834

32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 $1,390

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,544 $7,544

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,419 $3,419

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,690 $2,690

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

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

Last update for San Juan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Isabela: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $81.0 in San Juan vs $60.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $339 per month, with Isabela cheaper across the board.

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 84% 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 $3,658 in San Juan and $1,986 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.

Childcare runs $473 in San Juan versus $476 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isabela – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $81.0 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,324 in Isabela versus $2,439 in San Juan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isabela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,324 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isabela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Juan and Isabela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.