Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayaguez: $1,294 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Mayaguez
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Mayaguez Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,500

/mo nomad

Mayaguez

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,500 in San Juan versus $1,294 in Mayaguez.

San Juan $2,500
Mayaguez $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in San Juan versus $2,001 in Mayaguez.

San Juan $3,548
Mayaguez $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,596 in San Juan versus $2,709 in Mayaguez.

San Juan $4,596
Mayaguez $2,709

Living in San Juan is roughly 93% more expensive than in Mayaguez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 84% above, Mayaguez is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$12.98 $12.98

44.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 $81.9

$68.5 $68.5

19.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.18 $9.18

0.54%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$3.51 $3.51

1.71%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$1.24 $1.24

47.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.08 $1.08

39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.05 $3.05

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.27 $4.27

14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.19 $2.19

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.58 $3.58

2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.34 $2.34

4.70%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$7.46 $7.46

-2.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$12.64 $12.64

-1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$9.47 $9.47

2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$13.38 $13.38

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.92 $4.92

0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.67 $2.67

-0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.83 $4.83

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.74 $4.74

0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.68 $3.68

0.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.03 $4.03

-4.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.52 $3.52

-2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.64 $1.64

0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$12.03 $12.03

-2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$15.79 $15.79

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.97 $2.97

5.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.06 $4.06

-2.96%

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

$2.57 $2.57

-5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.10 $42.10

$42.63 $42.63

-1.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.96 $0.96

22.92%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$34.1K $34.1K

1.97%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

2.37%

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

$320 $320

$323 $323

-0.85%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$68.6 $68.6

-0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.5 $69.5

2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$27.80 $27.80

47.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 $7.39

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 $10.43

$10.48 $10.48

-0.48%

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

$836 $836

$837 $837

-0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$12.7K $12.7K

-1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$56.1 $56.1

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$61.0 $61.0

0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$111 $111

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$116 $116

-0.90%

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 Mayaguez: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.4%

Mayaguez

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$459 18.4%

Mayaguez

$461 35.6% 0.3% $1.4

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.6%

Mayaguez

$413 31.9% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

San Juan

$258 10.3%

Mayaguez

$207 16% 20.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.2%

Mayaguez

$155 11.9% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.5%

Mayaguez

$49 3.8% 21.3% $13

Getting Around

San Juan

$44 1.7%

Mayaguez

$10 * 0.8% 76.4% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $82 in San Juan vs $68 in Mayaguez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $413 per month, with Mayaguez cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Mayaguez

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

57,566

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Juan Mayaguez 110 km

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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 Mayaguez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayaguez is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,751 in San Juan and $1,941 in Mayaguez 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Mayaguez – a meal for two runs $68 versus $82 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $836 in San Juan versus $837 in Mayaguez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Mayaguez versus $2,500 in San Juan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mayaguez but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Mayaguez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.