Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Trujillo Alto

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo Alto: $1,754 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo Alto
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Trujillo Alto Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Trujillo Alto

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Trujillo Alto

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 Trujillo Alto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,520 per month in San Juan vs $1,754 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

San Juan $2,520
Trujillo Alto $1,754

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in San Juan vs $2,637 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

San Juan $3,581
Trujillo Alto $2,637

A family of three spends $4,641 per month in San Juan vs $3,520 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

San Juan $4,641
Trujillo Alto $3,520

San Juan costs about 44% more than Trujillo Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan and Trujillo Alto sit above the global median – San Juan by 86%, Trujillo Alto by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$12.83 $12.83

52.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$78.6 $78.6

5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$9.43 $9.43

-2.76%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$2.91 $2.91

21.65%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$1.92 $1.92

-0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.98 $0.98

48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.03 $3.03

-2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.89 $3.89

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.36 $3.36

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.42 $2.42

0.83%

Eggs

$7.54 $7.54

$4.90 $4.90

53.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$8.64 $8.64

44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.37 $9.37

0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$7.81 $7.81

70.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.29 $4.29

17.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.57 $2.57

3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.74 $4.74

5.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.82 $3.82

22.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.74 $3.74

0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.05 $4.05

-4.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.48 $3.48

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.54 $1.54

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.11 $10.11

18.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$14.96 $14.96

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.11 $3.11

-0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.09 $4.09

-1.71%

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

$2.44 $2.44

1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.26 $42.26

$42.15 $42.15

0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 $1.04

21.15%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.4K $34.4K

2.62%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$28.2K $28.2K

-0.57%

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

$322 $322

$327 $327

-1.76%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$58.4 $58.4

17.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.2 $69.2

0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

$29.43 $29.43

37.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

$10.16 $10.16

-26.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$10.69 $10.69

-2.15%

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

$814 $814

$344 $344

136.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K $11.7K

$5,458 $5,458

114.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$39.36 $39.36

43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 $62.3

$54.0 $54.0

15.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$90.0 $90.0

21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$113 $113

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 $1,994

$698 $698

185.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$544 $544

106.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,507 $3,507

$1,160 $1,160

202.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$960 $960

70.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 $7,463

$1,903 $1,903

292.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,563 $4,563

$1,614 $1,614

182.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 $3,096

$3,311 $3,311

-6.49%

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 Trujillo Alto: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

Trujillo Alto

$544 31% 51.6% $580

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$460 18.3%

Trujillo Alto

$455 25.9% 1.1% $4.8

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$414 16.4%

Trujillo Alto

$361 20.6% 12.8% $53

Eating Out

San Juan

$265 10.5%

Trujillo Alto

$200 11.4% 24.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$153 6.1%

Trujillo Alto

$133 7.6% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$62 2.4%

Trujillo Alto

$51 2.9% 17.4% $11

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.7%

Trujillo Alto

$9.8 * 0.6% 77.3% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,994 in San Juan versus $698 in Trujillo Alto. 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 7% higher in Trujillo Alto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in San Juan versus $79 in Trujillo Alto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $361 – making Trujillo Alto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇵🇷 Trujillo Alto

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

43,712

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Juan Trujillo Alto 17 km

From you

San Juan
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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 Trujillo Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 44% more than Trujillo Alto, 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 $2,631 in Trujillo Alto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trujillo Alto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $698 there versus $1,994 in San Juan.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in San Juan and $79 in Trujillo Alto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in San Juan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,520 in San Juan and $1,754 in Trujillo Alto, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Trujillo Alto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.