For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,054 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in Puerto Rico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $2,054 in Puerto Rico.
Spain $1,775
Puerto Rico $2,054
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $3,047 in Puerto Rico.
Spain $2,606
Puerto Rico $3,047
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $4,040 in Puerto Rico.
Spain $3,438
Puerto Rico $4,040
📏
Spain ($931–$2,610) and Puerto Rico ($1,068–$2,500) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Spain costs about 14% less than in Puerto Rico on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 30% above, Puerto Rico 51% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.95
$15.25$15.25
9.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7€49.88
$78.9$78.9
-29.40%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.37€10.18
$10.20$10.20
11.47%
Cappuccino
$2.42€2.16
$3.53$3.53
-31.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68€2.40
$1.66$1.66
61.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79€1.60
$1.35$1.35
32.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.42€3.07
$2.97$2.97
15.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88€3.47
$4.61$4.61
-15.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.20€1.07
$2.18$2.18
-44.95%
White Bread(500g)
$1.48€1.33
$3.29$3.29
-55.02%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67€1.50
$2.21$2.21
-24.43%
Eggs
$3.42€3.06
$6.09$6.09
-43.84%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.17€12.69
$11.17$11.17
26.86%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.33€7.46
$8.38$8.38
-0.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.20€14.51
$12.46$12.46
30.02%
Apples(1kg)
$2.45€2.20
$4.70$4.70
-47.87%
Banana(1kg)
$2.03€1.82
$2.65$2.65
-23.40%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.08€1.86
$4.37$4.37
-52.40%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.58€2.31
$4.59$4.59
-43.79%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83€1.64
$3.51$3.51
-47.86%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.79
$3.21$3.21
-37.69%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.31€1.17
$2.97$2.97
-55.89%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77€0.69
$1.80$1.80
-57.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36€5.70
$11.76$11.76
-45.92%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.05
$15.41$15.41
-63.40%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.17
$2.35$2.35
-44.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.87
$3.57$3.57
-41.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.64€1.47
$0.89$0.89
84.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.91€29.48
$30.39$30.39
8.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.43€3.96
$2.45$2.45
80.82%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.47€1.31
$1.53$1.53
-3.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.98€22.38
$41.72$41.72
-40.12%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.77€1.59
$1.04$1.04
70.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K€31.8K
$39.7K$39.7K
-10.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K€27.4K
$28.8K$28.8K
6.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$149€134
$294$294
-49.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67€15.83
$68.6$68.6
-74.23%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88€28.55
$71.2$71.2
-55.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.24€39.62
$28.85$28.85
53.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29€13.70
$13.72$13.72
11.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66€8.65
$9.87$9.87
-2.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$544€487
$708$708
-23.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.6K€9,499
$11.2K$11.2K
-5.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9€76.0
$57.5$57.5
47.78%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11€33.24
$47.49$47.49
-21.86%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.2€79.9
$93.4$93.4
-4.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€94.7
$98.1$98.1
7.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,056€946
$1,202$1,202
-12.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$808€723
$782$782
3.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,621€1,452
$2,319$2,319
-30.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,246€1,116
$1,297$1,297
-3.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,135€3,704
$6,281$6,281
-34.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,633€2,358
$3,615$3,615
-27.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Puerto Rico
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,999€1,790
$2,811$2,811
-28.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
6.51
-49.31%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Last update for Puerto Rico: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808 45.5%
Puerto Rico
$782 38.1% ↓ 3.2%$25
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272 15.3%
Puerto Rico
$381 18.5% ↑ 40.1%$109
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$239 13.5%
Puerto Rico
$231 11.3% ↓ 3.5%$8.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199 11.2%
Puerto Rico
$434 21.1% ↑ 118%$235
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143 8%
Puerto Rico
$133 6.5% ↓ 6.5%$9.2
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64 3.6%
Puerto Rico
$49 2.4% ↓ 23.6%$15
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$51 2.9%
Puerto Rico
$44 2.1% ↓ 14%$7.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$1.2K 36.3%
Puerto Rico
$1.3K 32.1% ↑ 4.1%$51
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$646 18.8%
Puerto Rico
$878 21.7% ↑ 35.9%$232
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$763 22.2%
Puerto Rico
$865 21.4% ↑ 13.3%$102
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$217 6.3%
Puerto Rico
$503 12.4% ↑ 132%$286
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$317 9.2%
Puerto Rico
$296 7.3% ↓ 6.5%$21
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$142 4.1%
Puerto Rico
$111 2.8% ↓ 22.1%$32
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$106 3.1%
Puerto Rico
$90 2.2% ↓ 15%$16
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $898 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $1,934 in San Juan.
💰National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $2,576 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Dining out costs 33% more in Puerto Rico.
⭐Public transport is 23% more expensive in Puerto Rico.
⭐Salaries are 31% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.
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
Spain vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Puerto Rico and Spain?
At $2,054 per month in Puerto Rico and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 14% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Should I move to Puerto Rico or to Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.