Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,197 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,197

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Seattle, WA

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

A single person spends $2,197 per month in San Juan vs $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Juan $2,197
Seattle, WA $3,744

A couple spends around $3,317 per month in San Juan vs $5,703 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Juan $3,317
Seattle, WA $5,703

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in San Juan vs $7,661 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Juan $4,436
Seattle, WA $7,661

San Juan is about 41% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – San Juan by 64%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.95 $18.95

$24.56 $24.56

-22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$99.5 $99.5

-17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 $9.01

$15.30 $15.30

-41.11%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$6.62 $6.62

-45.17%

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

$1.92 $1.92

$3.25 $3.25

-40.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$3.11 $3.11

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$7.77 $7.77

-61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 $5.12

$7.93 $7.93

-35.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.21 $1.21

78.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$4.94 $4.94

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$6.17 $6.17

-61.10%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$4.96 $4.96

47.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$19.00 $19.00

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$18.69 $18.69

-46.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$23.14 $23.14

-43.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.93 $5.93

-15.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.94 $1.94

32.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.19 $5.19

-6.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$6.55 $6.55

-28.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.62 $3.62

1.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.16 $3.16

23.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.91 $2.91

15.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.38 $2.38

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$12.36 $12.36

-3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$15.02 $15.02

2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$4.30 $4.30

-30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.69 $5.69

-31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

$3.05 $3.05

-74.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.65 $29.65

$109 $109

-72.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.64 $2.64

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.74 $1.74

-12.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.18 $41.18

$30.02 $30.02

37.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.46 $1.46

-15.75%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$36.7K $36.7K

8.15%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

9.22%

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

$323 $323

$299 $299

7.92%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$69.7 $69.7

0.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$90.1 $90.1

-22.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$80.0 $80.0

-48.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 $7.78

$35.62 $35.62

-78.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 $10.57

$17.33 $17.33

-39.01%

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

$814 $814

$2,986 $2,986

-72.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$31.3K $31.3K

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$77.7 $77.7

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$54.9 $54.9

12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$126 $126

-15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$165 $165

-31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$2,407 $2,407

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 $847

$1,963 $1,963

-56.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$4,788 $4,788

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$3,561 $3,561

-57.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 $7,513

$7,430 $7,430

1.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,351 $3,351

$5,010 $5,010

-33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 $2,674

$6,280 $6,280

-57.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.85

-4.38%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$847 37.8%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 132% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$463 20.7%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 0.8% $3.9

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$412 18.4%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 31.3% $129

Eating Out

San Juan

$261 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 54.2% $141

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$152 6.8%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 25.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$63 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 82.9% $52

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 208% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,791 in San Juan versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. 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 135% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $82.0 in San Juan versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $541 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

23:49 11:49 PM

3 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Seattle, WA 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 70% 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 $3,295 per month in San Juan and $5,616 in Seattle, WA. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in San Juan and $2,986 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,197 in San Juan and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $2,197 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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