Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Juan

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.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA and in San Juan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 70% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$18.95 $18.95

29.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$81.6 $81.6

21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$9.01 $9.01

69.81%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.63 $3.63

82.37%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.92 $1.92

69.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.44 $1.44

115.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$2.96 $2.96

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.12 $5.12

54.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.16 $2.16

-43.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.64 $3.64

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.40 $2.40

157.08%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$7.30 $7.30

-32.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$12.48 $12.48

52.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$9.91 $9.91

88.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$13.15 $13.15

75.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.01 $5.01

18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.57 $2.57

-24.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.83 $4.83

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.68 $4.68

39.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.69 $3.69

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.89 $3.89

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.35 $3.35

-13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.65 $1.65

44.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$11.90 $11.90

3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.42 $15.42

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.98 $2.98

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.91 $3.91

45.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.78 $0.78

291.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$29.65 $29.65

266.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.53 $2.53

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.53 $1.53

13.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$41.18 $41.18

-27.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.23 $1.23

18.70%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$39.7K $39.7K

-7.53%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$28.0K $28.0K

-8.45%

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

$299 $299

$323 $323

-7.33%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$70.0 $70.0

-0.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$70.1 $70.1

28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$41.55 $41.55

92.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$7.78 $7.78

357.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.57 $10.57

63.95%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$814 $814

266.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.4K $12.4K

152.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$55.5 $55.5

39.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$61.6 $61.6

-11.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$107 $107

17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$113 $113

46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,791 $1,791

34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$847 $847

131.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,872 $2,872

66.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,496 $1,496

138.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$7,513 $7,513

-1.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$3,351 $3,351

49.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$2,674 $2,674

134.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.55

4.58%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

San Juan

$847 37.8% 56.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

San Juan

$412 18.4% 23.8% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

San Juan

$463 20.7% 0.9% $3.9

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

San Juan

$261 11.6% 35.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

San Juan

$152 6.8% 20.4% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

San Juan

$43 1.9% 67.5% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

San Juan

$63 2.8% 45.3% $52

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs San Juan: 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 $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,295 in San Juan. 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 $2,986 per month in Seattle, WA and $814 in San Juan. 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 $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,197 in San Juan. 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.