Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Rico: $2,054 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Puerto Rico

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $2,054 in Puerto Rico.

United States $2,734
Puerto Rico $2,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $3,047 in Puerto Rico.

United States $3,985
Puerto Rico $3,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $4,040 in Puerto Rico.

United States $5,235
Puerto Rico $4,040

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,068–$2,500 in Puerto Rico. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 33% more expensive than in Puerto Rico on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, Puerto Rico 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$15.25 $15.25

31.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$78.9 $78.9

1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.20 $10.20

15.69%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.53 $3.53

57.22%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.66 $1.66

60.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.35 $1.35

60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.97 $2.97

106.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.61 $4.61

72.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.18 $2.18

-52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.29 $3.29

9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.21 $2.21

104.52%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$6.09 $6.09

-29.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$11.17 $11.17

18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.38 $8.38

50.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$12.46 $12.46

41.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.70 $4.70

12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.65 $2.65

-36.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.37 $4.37

1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.59 $4.59

3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.51 $3.51

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.21 $3.21

-1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.97 $2.97

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.80 $1.80

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$11.76 $11.76

-6.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.41 $15.41

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.35 $2.35

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.57 $3.57

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.89 $0.89

117.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$30.39 $30.39

95.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.45 $2.45

46.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.53 $1.53

22.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$41.72 $41.72

-28.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.04 $1.04

-1.92%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$39.7K $39.7K

-27.60%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

-8.95%

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

$218 $218

$294 $294

-25.92%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$68.6 $68.6

-8.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$71.2 $71.2

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$28.85 $28.85

45.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$13.72 $13.72

66.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$9.87 $9.87

48.94%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$708 $708

110.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$11.2K $11.2K

125.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$57.5 $57.5

-5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$47.49 $47.49

-10.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$93.4 $93.4

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$98.1 $98.1

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,202 $1,202

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$782 $782

72.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,319 $2,319

15.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,297 $1,297

67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$6,281 $6,281

-47.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,615 $3,615

-31.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$2,811 $2,811

52.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.51

0.61%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Puerto Rico

$782 38.1% 41.9% $565

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Puerto Rico

$381 18.5% 8.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Puerto Rico

$434 21.1% 22.3% $79

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Puerto Rico

$231 11.3% 29.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Puerto Rico

$133 6.5% 2.7% $3.7

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Puerto Rico

$44 2.1% 45% $36

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Puerto Rico

$49 2.4% 31.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $898 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $1,934 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $2,576 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 80% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 66% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 77% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

Same time as the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

3,285,874

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

United States Puerto Rico 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,054 per month in Puerto Rico and $2,734 in the United States, Puerto Rico comes out about 25% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $898 in Puerto Rico. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.