Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Ontario, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,253 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,253

/mo nomad

Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Ontario, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in San Juan versus $2,867 in Ontario, CA.

San Juan $2,253
Ontario, CA $2,867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,373 in San Juan versus $2,937 in Ontario, CA.

San Juan $3,373
Ontario, CA $2,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in San Juan versus $3,007 in Ontario, CA.

San Juan $4,494
Ontario, CA $3,007

Living in San Juan costs roughly 21% less than in Ontario, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 67% above, Ontario, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.43 $19.43

$19.91 $19.91

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 $82.3

$78.2 $78.2

5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$15.13 $15.13

-37.67%

Cappuccino

$3.56 $3.56

$5.64 $5.64

-36.88%

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

$1.83 $1.83

$3.09 $3.09

-40.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.31 $2.31

-37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$7.26 $7.26

-58.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 $5.13

$9.37 $9.37

-45.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.04 $1.04

110.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.00 $4.00

-7.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$4.79 $4.79

-50.73%

Eggs

$7.33 $7.33

$4.57 $4.57

60.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.97 $12.97

-1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$8.85 $8.85

7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$15.66 $15.66

-15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$4.62 $4.62

11.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.70 $1.70

56.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$3.97 $3.97

25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.54 $5.54

-11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.59 $3.59

3.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.31 $2.31

68.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.98 $1.98

78.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.92 $1.92

-16.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$11.56 $11.56

1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$14.76 $14.76

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.94 $1.94

58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.13 $4.13

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.54 $1.54

-53.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.97 $29.97

$29.84 $29.84

0.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$6.08 $6.08

-58.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.53 $1.53

-18.95%

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

$40.3K $40.3K

$37.1K $37.1K

8.82%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

3.00%

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

$327 $327

$222 $222

47.62%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$68.7 $68.7

-0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$61.8 $61.8

13.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.46 $41.46

$64.0 $64.0

-35.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.70 $7.70

$28.79 $28.79

-73.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 $10.40

$17.89 $17.89

-41.87%

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

$821 $821

$1,164 $1,164

-29.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$58.3 $58.3

-3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 $61.4

$40.76 $40.76

50.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$91.3 $91.3

19.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$1,900 $1,900

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 $846

$1,503 $1,503

-43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

$2,646 $2,646

12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,283 $7,283

$3,989 $3,989

82.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,377 $3,377

$3,666 $3,666

-7.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,704 $2,704

$3,613 $3,613

-25.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.39

2.50%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$846 37.6%

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4% 77.6% $656

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$466 20.7%

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3% 24.4% $114

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$417 18.5%

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6% 6.8% $28

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 11.8%

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2% 31.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$154 6.8%

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6% 13.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.8%

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5% 60.3% $38

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5% 1.4% $0.6

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 $1,802 in San Juan and $1,900 in Ontario, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ontario, CA pays 34% 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: $82.0 in San Juan vs $78.0 in Ontario, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $389 per month, with Ontario, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

10:28 10:28 AM

3 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

185,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Juan Ontario, CA 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
Ontario, CA

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 Ontario, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Ontario, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,802 in San Juan versus $1,900 in Ontario, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $821 in San Juan versus $1,164 in Ontario, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ontario, CA pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. San Juan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, San Juan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ontario, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Ontario, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.