Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Isabel and San Juan, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Isabel: $1,298 a month against $2,520 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Isabel
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Santa Isabel Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Santa Isabel

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,298

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Isabel and in San Juan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Isabel and in San Juan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,298 per month in Santa Isabel vs $2,520 in San Juan, rent included.

Santa Isabel $1,298
San Juan $2,520

A couple spends around $2,045 per month in Santa Isabel vs $3,581 in San Juan, rent included.

Santa Isabel $2,045
San Juan $3,581

A family of three spends $2,791 per month in Santa Isabel vs $4,641 in San Juan, rent included.

Santa Isabel $2,791
San Juan $4,641

Santa Isabel is about 48% cheaper than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Santa Isabel sits 4% below the global median, while San Juan is 86% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.18 $19.18

$19.61 $19.61

-2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 $82.6

$83.1 $83.1

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 $9.06

$9.17 $9.17

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$3.61 $3.61

$3.54 $3.54

1.98%

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

$1.89 $1.89

$1.91 $1.91

-1.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.95 $2.95

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.95 $4.95

2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.22 $2.22

-40.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.57 $3.57

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.44 $2.44

-0.82%

Eggs

$6.21 $6.21

$7.54 $7.54

-17.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$12.48 $12.48

-0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$9.41 $9.41

4.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$13.34 $13.34

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.04 $5.04

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.66 $2.66

-4.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.99 $4.99

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.69 $4.69

-0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.77 $3.77

2.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.85 $3.85

0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.36 $3.36

0.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.61 $1.61

2.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$11.98 $11.98

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 $15.50

$15.81 $15.81

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.09 $3.09

1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.02 $4.02

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 $0.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.48 $2.48

-1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.47 $1.47

-55.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 $39.69

$42.26 $42.26

-6.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.26 $1.26

-13.49%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$35.3K $35.3K

-0.64%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$28.1K $28.1K

-0.52%

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

$318 $318

$322 $322

-1.24%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$68.4 $68.4

0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$69.9 $69.9

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 $40.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 $7.47

Cinema Ticket

$10.62 $10.62

$10.46 $10.46

1.53%

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

$826 $826

$814 $814

1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$11.7K $11.7K

2.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 $56.7

$56.6 $56.6

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$62.3 $62.3

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$109 $109

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$112 $112

2.79%

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 Santa Isabel: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Juan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Isabel

$457 35.2%

San Juan

$460 18.3% 0.6% $2.6

Groceries & Markets

Santa Isabel

$398 30.6%

San Juan

$414 16.4% 4% $16

Eating Out

Santa Isabel

$263 20.2%

San Juan

$265 10.5% 0.8% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Isabel

$153 11.8%

San Juan

$153 6.1% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Isabel

$21 * 1.6%

San Juan

$62 2.4% 190% $40

Getting Around

Santa Isabel

$5.8 * 0.4%

San Juan

$43 1.7% 652% $37

Accommodation & Living

Santa Isabel

- * 0%

San Juan

$1.1K 44.6%

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 Santa Isabel versus $83 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $414 – making Santa Isabel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Santa Isabel

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

Same time as Santa Isabel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,000

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Isabel San Juan 63 km

From you

Santa Isabel
San Juan

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

Santa Isabel vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan costs about 94% more than Santa Isabel, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,948 per month in Santa Isabel and $3,781 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,298 in Santa Isabel and $2,520 in San Juan. That makes Santa Isabel about 48% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 4% more in San Juan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Isabel, where all-in costs run around $1,298, than in San Juan at $2,520. In Santa Isabel 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 $1,298 in Santa Isabel to $2,520 in San Juan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.