Hi everyone,
Every year, we invite expats who are living in Puerto Rico to share their experience and tell us more about the average price of products and services in their town, city or area, so that we can help future expats planning to settle in Puerto Rico.
We would like to thank you in advance for your contribution.
Regarding accommodation, how much does it cost to rent or buy an apartment or a house in Puerto Rico?
How much do you pay on average for public transport (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?
How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank?
Concerning your food expenses : how much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta? What is the average price of your monthly food shopping?
How much does it cost to have health insurance? How much for a health specialist's consultation in Puerto Rico?
How much does childcare cost on average per month? What about school fees?
How much do you pay for electricity, gas, water, internet, mobile's subscription etc., per month?
How much do you spend on leisure in Puerto Rico (cinema,sport, etc)?
Feel free to add any other daily expenses that you have in mind.
Thank you for sharing,
Loïc
Cost of Living in Puerto Rico in 2020
Food - I pay about same amount as in USA.
Gas I think is little bit more expensive, but not that much I would feel it.
No public transportation really here. I mean it exists but not realistically.
Uber - depends.
No parking fees - if I don't count the homeless who demand to "watch" my car here and there (that's big advantage - no parking fees (except one place - and thats a 1$ 🤪) thought not easy to find parking generally.
Cigarettes are cheap here.
The tolls cost me about 40$ per week.
Two bedroom costs as one bedroom in usa.
(But then you also have paycheck according that...)
Unexpected items - exterminator my newest place got rat, owner doesn't seem to be able to do much about it for past few months, so I will have to find exterminator, car I just got back from mechanic and he drove it, I could start it easily at his place - battery was dead next day morning.. 150$... random things.
Cost of housing depends on what part of the island, how close to the beach and how many luxuries you want. I bought a comfortable mountain top home with an ocean view, updated the 2/1 main floor, 2/1 cabana, added pool, paid cash at about 1/3 of what it would have cost in Dallas and property taxes saved thousands a year moving here. Property insurance is running about 1/3 the cost too. Electricity is higher per kilowatt but runs about the same per month if using all LED, low consumption appliances. It is prone to failure so have a LP generator for back-up that powers the well & other home necessities.
The phone, internet run about the same monthly but trash is free. Would consider solar but haven't done that yet.
The roads are varied, winding & very narrow in places, pot-holed in many so I choose to drive a bomber because liability insurance & tags are so cheap and having full coverage to insure a good car doesn't make sense to me here. No pubic transportation. Gas is about the same. Get a home with at least parking spaces for a car.
Doctors, dentist have not needed yet. I have private insurance and Medicare but haven't used it here. I am way past needing childcare so no info for you there.
Shopping is decent. Weather is great. Spanish is challenging me but can get by with just English. The people are the best. It is so easy to make good friends here.
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