Successes in your career in Puerto Rico

My career paid so little in New York and now I moved down here and they only pay 7.50 an hour with no benefits no sick time no holiday pay nothing .My career is landscaping groundskeeper. Big disappointment out of college with horticulture degree for o 7.50 an hour job

Hi Priscilla,

I can't wait until I can weigh in on this post with actual work experience in PR, but I will say that I have read on a lot of different sites that salaries in PR are 35 - 50% lower than salaries in the US. I think this largely depends on where you live in the US, since those who live along the coast, California and New England, in major cities, etc. tend to have higher salaries than those in mid-Western US states. The cost of living in these coastal states is higher as well.

When I mention to family and friends that the salaries in PR are lower, they say that the cost of living in PR is also lower. With the 11.5% tax, I do not think this is 100% true (maybe in rural areas outside of San Juan), however do feel that life would be more "simple" there - and therefore I would spend less money on a weekly basis.

I've also looked up job openings and see that jobs in San Juan pay more since that is the major city there, so I am planning on renting in or near San Juan and also won't move until I secure job (putting a lot of positive energy out there for this one, haha!). Currently I am a Project Manager at Hasbro, the toy company, and would be looking for Project Management - or similar - type jobs in PR.

I'll be sure to share more once I land a job there and have actual experience

Thanks!

Sara

PR's cost of living isn't lower than the States, generally. It's actually higher than most places in the States.

@NomadLawyer yes I agree, as I noted in my above post when I stayed there I was not in a resort, but found prices in the Luquillo area to be on-par or lower than the RI/MA area I'm in in the States. Prices in San Juan correlated with prices I see in Providence but slightly lower than what you (mostly) see in Boston. My main takeaway for spending less is that there's more to enjoy in nature year-round, which is free - or at a low cost.

NomadLawyer wrote:

PR's cost of living isn't lower than the States, generally. It's actually higher than most places in the States.

Not so.  Cost of living in PR is roughly 80% of the US average.  It's difficult to find the figures, but a dollar goes further in PR.  This seems principally to be a function of low rents and low property taxes.

Here's an interesting site with a general comparison of prices.  Can't vouch for its accuracy, but it seems reasonable.

Lastly, note the difference in salaries, which is why the local purchasing power on the mainland is so much higher than in PR.

In short, if you are dependent on the local economy for your income, PR is about 25% more expensive than the mainland.  If however you are not dependent on the local economy for your income, PR is about 20% less expensive than the mainland.

I agree with Warner but also want to add that consumption is different in PR than in the states. People eat different and also use the grey economy were bartering makes a huge difference. There is a lot of people living on 1,000 a month and less.

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I remember seeing statistics saying that PR's cost of living was on par with the DC area (where I grew up), which is above the national average. But, you know what they say about statistics...

Perhaps the metric adjusted for local purchasing power.

Looks like many frequently-purchased items are as expensive or more expensive than the mainland.  The price of a gallon of milk always seems to make eyes pop.  So I suspect that it is individual, common items like that which make people believe the cost of living is so high.  It may also be the case that "expats" who want to buy in PR what they bought on the mainland are surprised by the prices.  Apples, anyone?  But the cost of the necessities (shelter, clothing and rum) are cheaper.

I like Rey's point above as well, that there is a robust barter economy, and cash is very much king on the island.  In addition Rey points out that consumption changes, and savings may accrue as a result.  All true.

I expect to spend very little.  Property taxes are ridiculously low where I am now, so no real savings there.  Cistern for water and solar for electricity and I expect only connection/septic fees for utilities.  I grew up on a farm, so I'm looking forward to raising food for my table.  Financial planners usually suggest that a retiree generate 70% of employment income in retirement.  I'm confident that I can live well in PR on less than 50%.

The real challenge is local purchasing power, which gets to Priscilla's point in starting this thread, and is a topic that I think potential "expats" need to seriously consider.  Salaries on the island are significantly depressed.  My wife is an RN who came to the profession late and would like to continue working after the move.  RNs on the island make about 1/3 of what they make on the mainland.

Remember also that living in certain areas on the island you have no need for air conditioning and of course you have no heating bill, in the states you can be paying $170 to $400 a month to heat your house

If the average hospital per diem runs around $750 to $1,000 per day in many hospitals in PR and the average contracted fee for a GP is $10-$15 and for a specialist or sub-specialist is $23-$35, then you can understand why a nurse makes so little in the island. In addition, per diems may or may not see an annual inflationary rate increase depending on the hospital(s) for various reasons. Actually, when people state that Puerto Rico is a great option for medical tourism it's because of the much lower fee schedule base in the island. Puerto Rico has the advantage of having many providers trained in the mainland in addition to having Federal rules & Regs providing a cost-effective solution towards health care delivery. Last time I checked, the contracted schedule fee for a dentist hasn't been reviewed for more than 5 years. My daughter just had a root canal and my 50% coinsurance through a local carrier was only $220. I paid it without hesitation. 

@sandra, that is true - I pay in the $300 range to heat my house in the winter... it's only 1100 sq ft and I live by myself.

I dont understand how pr can promo medical tourism.  We have terrible a horrible healthcare system here. Good luck finding a dr that can helpin an emergency situation

I moved to p.r. 2 years ago, sold a very succesful business of 28 years there.Having been a visitor here for 11 years I kinda knew what to expect in some ways. I have applied for more than 80 jobs here and not even one interview.Its obvious locals get preferance regardless of qualifications. And also alot of underground cash here.I finally figured out how some are doing it. The food truck business are all cash which are avoiding taxs, then they are receiving family or food assistance that enables them to feed there familys and supply there food truck. Very proffesional at working the system.as with all things here there is laws in place.....just not enforced.

Health care delivery on the island varies by location and if you live on the west side, that could become an issue so I understand your frustration. In general, you may experience significant waiting times due to a combination of factors including a sharp increase of the medicaid risk population in recent years. There are a few specialties on demand that simply left the island due to the lower provider fee schedule but regardless, the San Juan, Metro area has a robust open network.  The government of Puerto Rico is aware of the "leaky faucet" and has addressed the issue by implementing tax incentives for specific specialties. Hope this serve useful.

Ray i went to the er in san juan several years  ago. I was thede for 13hrs in the lobby. During that time 30 mins of it i actually saw a dr. They couldn't even give me all the test results. They told me i would have to druve back in 3 days foe my results.  I never did go back. During my time there no one person was cleaning or sanitizing.  We fail here in healthcare
Even took my son to 2 different er. Same thing so unsanitary. They dont even wear gloves when drawing blood