Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Sabana Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabana Grande: $1,317 a month against $2,500 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
San Juan
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$2,500
/mo nomad
Sabana Grande
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,317
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Sabana Grande

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

A single person spends $2,500 per month in San Juan vs $1,317 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

  • San Juan $2,500
  • Sabana Grande $1,317

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in San Juan vs $2,075 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

  • San Juan $3,548
  • Sabana Grande $2,075

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in San Juan vs $2,833 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

  • San Juan $4,596
  • Sabana Grande $2,833

San Juan costs about 90% more than Sabana Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

San Juan sits 84% above the global median, while Sabana Grande is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.78 $18.78
$19.27 $19.27
-2.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.9 $81.9
$81.4 $81.4
0.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.23 $9.23
$8.94 $8.94
3.24%
Cappuccino
$3.57 $3.57
$3.67 $3.67
-2.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.88 $1.88
-2.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.49 $1.49
1.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.92 $2.92
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.90 $4.90
$5.13 $5.13
-4.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 $2.16
$2.13 $2.13
1.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.66 $3.66
$3.67 $3.67
-0.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.33 $2.33
5.15%
Eggs
$7.30 $7.30
$7.28 $7.28
0.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.39 $12.39
$12.47 $12.47
-0.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.70 $9.70
$9.38 $9.38
3.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.35 $13.35
$13.46 $13.46
-0.82%
Apples (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$4.97 $4.97
-0.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.64 $2.64
0.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.91 $4.91
$4.84 $4.84
1.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$4.84 $4.84
-1.24%
Potato (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$3.84 $3.84
-3.91%
Onion (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$4.06 $4.06
-4.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.36 $3.36
2.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.66 $1.66
-0.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 $11.76
$12.11 $12.11
-2.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.36 $15.36
$15.38 $15.38
-0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$3.10 $3.10
1.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 $3.94
$3.92 $3.92
0.51%
🚌 Getting Around
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
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
$2.54 $2.54
-3.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.51 $1.51
1.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.10 $42.10
$42.44 $42.44
-0.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.18 $1.18
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K $34.8K
$34.3K $34.3K
1.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$27.9K $27.9K
0.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$320 $320
$320 $320
0.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.3 $68.3
$68.4 $68.4
-0.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$69.1 $69.1
2.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.05 $41.05
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.39 $7.39
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 $10.43
$10.65 $10.65
-2.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$836 $836
$833 $833
0.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K $12.5K
$12.7K $12.7K
-1.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 $57.3
$56.2 $56.2
1.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.6 $61.6
$61.1 $61.1
0.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$109 $109
0.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 $115
$113 $113
1.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Juan
Sabana Grande
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,719 $2,719
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
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 Sabana Grande: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Juan
$1.1K
Sabana Grande
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
$459
Sabana Grande
$457 0.5% $2.1
Groceries & Markets
San Juan
$414
Sabana Grande
$412 0.3% $1.4
Eating Out
San Juan
$258
Sabana Grande
$263 1.9% $4.9
Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
$154
Sabana Grande
$153 1% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
$62
Sabana Grande
$21 * 65.6% $41
Getting Around
San Juan
$44
Sabana Grande
$10 * 76.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in San Juan versus $81 in Sabana Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $412 – making Sabana Grande the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 San Juan
🇵🇷 Sabana Grande
🕒 Local time
18:30 6:30 PM
18:30 6:30 PM
Same time as San Juan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,854 Capital
25,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Juan Sabana Grande 99 km
From you
  • San Juan
  • Sabana Grande

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 Sabana Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sabana Grande cheaper than San Juan?
Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in San Juan and $1,976 in Sabana Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in San Juan and in Sabana Grande?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,500 in San Juan and $1,317 in Sabana Grande. That makes Sabana Grande about 47% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $836 per month in San Juan and $833 in Sabana Grande. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in San Juan or in Sabana Grande?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sabana Grande, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in San Juan at $2,500. In Sabana Grande it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in San Juan or in Sabana Grande?
It depends on your priorities. San Juan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,317 in Sabana Grande to $2,500 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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