Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Puerto Rico Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Spain versus $1,567 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,401 in Spain versus $2,386 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $3,204 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Spain is roughly 5% more expensive than Puerto Rico on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 23% above, Puerto Rico 17% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,133 to $3,262, compared to $1,070–$2,442 in Puerto Rico. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.91

$15.02 $15.02

7.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.27

$76.2 $76.2

-24.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$8.75 $8.75

21.37%

Cappuccino

$2.38 €2.05

$3.28 $3.28

-27.44%

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

$2.59 €2.23

$1.61 $1.61

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.22 $1.22

56.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.65 $2.65

31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.46

$3.89 $3.89

3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.00 $2.00

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.37

$3.05 $3.05

-47.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.24 $2.24

-29.02%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.62

$5.08 $5.08

-39.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.55 €12.52

$9.65 $9.65

50.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$8.58 $8.58

-1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.35

$11.29 $11.29

37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$5.18 $5.18

-50.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.68 $2.68

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$4.03 $4.03

-48.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$4.68 $4.68

-45.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.22 $3.22

-42.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.70 $2.70

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.65 $2.65

-49.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.81 $1.81

-59.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.47

$11.12 $11.12

-42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$15.65 $15.65

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.26 $2.26

-44.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.77

$3.40 $3.40

-39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.71 $1.71

-1.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 €30.20

$40.20 $40.20

-12.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.80

$6.14 $6.14

-28.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$0.99 $0.99

35.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.32 €22.64

$27.66 $27.66

-4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.99 $0.99

85.86%

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

$38.8K €33.4K

$35.3K $35.3K

9.95%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

17.26%

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

$150 €129

$302 $302

-50.23%

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

$20.56 €17.69

$71.5 $71.5

-71.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.49 €29.67

$66.6 $66.6

-48.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.25

$34.38 $34.38

39.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €13.80

$34.05 $34.05

-52.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €7.73

$8.83 $8.83

1.81%

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

$509 €438

$430 $430

18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,884 €8,502

$7,486 $7,486

32.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €74.4

$48.16 $48.16

79.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.14 €31.95

$45.94 $45.94

-19.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.1

$84.5 $84.5

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.6

$102 $102

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €899

$803 $803

30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €717

$624 $624

33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,453

$1,595 $1,595

5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,065

$1,142 $1,142

8.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,378 €3,766

$5,349 $5,349

-18.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 €2,363

$2,394 $2,394

14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,073 €1,783

$2,753 $2,753

-24.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

5.62

-37.54%

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

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $427 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,566 in Madrid vs $1,567 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $2,030 in Spain, $2,383 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 40% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 371% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 17% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

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

Spain vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,756 per month in Puerto Rico and $2,198 in Spain, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Puerto Rico is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain beats Puerto Rico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Puerto Rico wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.