Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,520 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 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
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,520 per month in San Juan vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Juan $2,520
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in San Juan vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Juan $3,581
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,641 per month in San Juan vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

San Juan $4,641
New York, NY $9,641

San Juan is about 49% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan and New York, NY sit above the global median – San Juan by 86%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$26.93 $26.93

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$117 $117

-28.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$14.60 $14.60

-37.19%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$6.54 $6.54

-45.87%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$3.86 $3.86

-50.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.95 $2.95

-50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$8.08 $8.08

-63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$9.85 $9.85

-49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.31 $1.31

69.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.97 $4.97

-28.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$7.70 $7.70

-68.31%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$6.09 $6.09

23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$19.55 $19.55

-36.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$17.59 $17.59

-46.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$20.26 $20.26

-34.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$6.99 $6.99

-27.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.21 $2.21

20.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$6.72 $6.72

-25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.12 $7.12

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.61 $4.61

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.78 $4.78

-19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.87 $2.87

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.69 $2.69

-40.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$19.14 $19.14

-37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$19.63 $19.63

-19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.32 $3.32

-6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.19 $4.19

-4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 $0.72

$3.02 $3.02

-76.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

$139 $139

-78.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.04 $3.04

-18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.20 $2.20

-33.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$41.33 $41.33

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.13 $1.13

11.50%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

2.46%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

8.60%

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

$322 $322

$232 $232

38.42%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$71.0 $71.0

-3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$67.7 $67.7

3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

$115 $115

-64.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

$76.8 $76.8

-90.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$22.41 $22.41

-53.32%

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

$814 $814

$3,606 $3,606

-77.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$68.7K $68.7K

-82.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$79.3 $79.3

-28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$51.4 $51.4

21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$121 $121

-9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$140 $140

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$4,555 $4,555

-56.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$3,040 $3,040

-63.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

$9,742 $9,742

-64.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$5,331 $5,331

-69.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 $7,463

$18.2K $18.2K

-59.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,563 $4,563

$6,685 $6,685

-31.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 $3,096

$5,096 $5,096

-39.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.89

-4.93%

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

Last update for San Juan: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 171% $1.9K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 19.3% $89

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 37.1% $153

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 60.4% $160

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 15.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 161% $99

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 283% $122

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,994 in San Juan versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in San Juan versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $567 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

19:19 7:19 PM

1 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan New York, NY 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 95% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,781 per month in San Juan and $7,358 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,994 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in San Juan and $3,606 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,520 in San Juan and $4,906 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $2,520 versus $4,906 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.