San Juan at a glance
- San Juan is the most expensive of Puerto Rico's 2 priced cities: $1,895 a month in essentials, 36% above Caguas at $1,392.
- The average net salary of $2,712 covers that 1.4×.
- 91 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipio level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.4 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Puerto Rico cities we track, so every row says whether San Juan is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,895 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $834 | $700 | $134 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,813 | $1,050 | 1.73× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $235 | $204 | $31 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $405 | $351 | $54 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $391 | $381 | $10 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $30 | ||
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,712 | ||
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,470 | $983 | 1.50× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,920 | $2,100 | 1.39× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in San Juan, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.56 | $16.50 | $2.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $84.11 | $84.11 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $9.19 | $9.19 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.69 | $3.69 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.00 | $2.75 | $0.25 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.00 | $4.00 | 1.25× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.82 | $1.67 | $0.15 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.47 | $1.47 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.27 | $2.27 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $3.63 | $3.50 | $0.13 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.38 | $2.29 | $0.09 |
| Eggs, 12 | $7.41 | $6.00 | $1.41 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.53 | $12.53 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.63 | $9.31 | $0.32 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.06 | $5.06 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.60 | $2.60 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.81 | $4.81 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.78 | $3.78 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $3.96 | $3.96 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.62 | $1.62 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.75 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $30.00 | ||
| Taxi start | $2.50 | $2.50 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.13 | $1.13 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $321.16 | $321.16 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $69.79 | $60.00 | $9.79 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $69.21 | $59.33 | $9.88 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $40.99 | $34.66 | $6.33 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.50 | $10.00 | $0.50 |
Dating-age sex ratio
San Juan has 91 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipio level). That is the lowest of the 4 Puerto Rico cities we track.
Every Puerto Rico region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How San Juan ranks against every city we track
San Juan sits ahead of 89% of the 1074 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On local salary it is ahead of 83% of 995. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 6% of 1009.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where San Juan sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put San Juan on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for San Juan beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open San Juan in the research deskOr unlock the Puerto Rico deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Moebiusuibeom-en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated