Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,197 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,197

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,197 per month in San Juan vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

San Juan $2,197
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $3,317 per month in San Juan vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

San Juan $3,317
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in San Juan vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

San Juan $4,436
Vancouver $5,072

San Juan is about 18% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Juan and Vancouver sit above the global median – San Juan by 64%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.95 $18.95

$17.30 CA$24.61

9.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$69.0 CA$98.1

18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 $9.01

$10.56 CA$15.02

-14.68%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$3.89 CA$5.53

-6.68%

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

$1.92 $1.92

$2.05 CA$2.92

-6.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.62 CA$2.31

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.54 CA$7.89

-46.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 $5.12

$6.33 CA$9.00

-19.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.31 CA$3.29

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.50 CA$3.56

45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$4.44 CA$6.32

-45.95%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$4.07 CA$5.79

79.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$11.28 CA$16.04

10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$13.42 CA$19.09

-26.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$20.10 CA$28.59

-34.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.06 CA$5.77

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.33 CA$1.89

93.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.91 CA$5.56

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.05 CA$5.77

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.72 CA$3.87

35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.89 CA$4.11

34.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.53 CA$3.60

32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.62 CA$2.30

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$15.57 CA$22.15

-23.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$14.05 CA$19.99

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.69 CA$3.82

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.99 CA$4.26

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.44 CA$3.47

-68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.65 $29.65

$83.4 CA$119

-64.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.71 CA$3.86

-6.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.57 CA$2.23

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.18 $41.18

$31.39 CA$44.65

31.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.38 CA$1.96

-10.87%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

41.56%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

41.56%

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

$323 $323

$81.2 CA$115

298.13%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$37.45 CA$53.3

86.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$51.4 CA$73.1

36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$43.47 CA$61.8

-4.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 $7.78

$12.53 CA$17.82

-37.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 $10.57

$12.54 CA$17.84

-15.71%

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

$814 $814

$1,094 CA$1,557

-25.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

-37.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$57.0 CA$81.1

-2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$32.73 CA$46.56

88.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$92.6 CA$132

15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$94.2 CA$134

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,745 CA$2,483

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 $847

$1,484 CA$2,111

-42.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$2,998 CA$4,264

-4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$2,422 CA$3,446

-38.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 $7,513

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-6.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,351 $3,351

$6,457 CA$9,184

-48.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 $2,674

$3,799 CA$5,404

-29.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.28

53.04%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 3, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$847 37.8%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 75.1% $637

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$463 20.7%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 63.3% $293

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$412 18.4%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

San Juan

$261 11.6%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 4.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$152 6.8%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 17.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$63 2.8%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 9.3% $5.9

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Vancouver

$104 4% 141% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,791 in San Juan versus $1,745 in Vancouver. 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 42% higher in Vancouver, 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 $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

22:47 10:47 PM

3 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Vancouver 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 22% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $4,026 in Vancouver. 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 $1,094 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Vancouver – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,197 in San Juan and $2,684 in Vancouver. 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 $2,684 in Vancouver. 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, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.