Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Lorenzo: $1,263 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in San Lorenzo
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San Lorenzo Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

San Lorenzo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in San Juan vs $1,263 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

San Juan $2,520
San Lorenzo $1,263

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in San Juan vs $1,995 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

San Juan $3,581
San Lorenzo $1,995

A family of three spends $4,641 per month in San Juan vs $2,728 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

San Juan $4,641
San Lorenzo $2,728

San Juan costs about 100% more than San Lorenzo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Juan sits 86% above the global median, while San Lorenzo is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$11.94 $11.94

64.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$84.7 $84.7

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$9.08 $9.08

0.99%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.47 $3.47

2.02%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$1.88 $1.88

1.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.07 $3.07

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.10 $5.10

-2.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.20 $2.20

0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.72 $3.72

-4.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$7.93 $7.93

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$12.65 $12.65

-1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.67 $9.67

-2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.43 $13.43

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.95 $4.95

1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.58 $2.58

3.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.81 $4.81

3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.68 $4.68

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.89 $3.89

-3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.90 $3.90

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.47 $3.47

-3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.58 $1.58

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$11.84 $11.84

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$15.44 $15.44

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.97 $2.97

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.10 $4.10

-1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 $0.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.55 $2.55

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.53 $1.53

-3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$41.24 $41.24

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

2.36%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$27.6K $27.6K

1.58%

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

$322 $322

$320 $320

0.54%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$69.6 $69.6

-1.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.6 $69.6

0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

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

$814 $814

$818 $818

-0.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$12.0K $12.0K

-2.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$55.4 $55.4

2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$61.5 $61.5

1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$110 $110

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$113 $113

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 $7,463

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,563 $4,563

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 $3,096

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Lorenzo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

San Lorenzo

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

San Lorenzo

$459 36.4% 0.2% $0.8

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

San Lorenzo

$416 33% 0.6% $2.5

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

San Lorenzo

$203 16.1% 23.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

San Lorenzo

$153 12.1% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

San Lorenzo

$21 * 1.7% 66% $41

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

San Lorenzo

$10 * 0.8% 76.5% $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 $83 in San Juan versus $85 in San Lorenzo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $416 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 San Lorenzo

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

9,373

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan San Lorenzo 35 km

From you

San Juan
San Lorenzo

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 San Lorenzo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 100% more than San Lorenzo, 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 $1,894 in San Lorenzo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,520 in San Juan and $1,263 in San Lorenzo. That makes San Lorenzo about 50% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in San Juan and $818 in San Lorenzo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Lorenzo, where all-in costs run around $1,263, than in San Juan at $2,520. In San Lorenzo it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Juan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,263 in San Lorenzo to $2,520 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.