Puerto Rico is well know for its stunning sandy beaches, historical charm, lush rainforests and friendly people. With both an amazing culture and an amazing natural habitat, Puerto Rico is a popular Caribbean vacation destination. Couple all of this with the fact that it doesn’t require a passport for U.S. citizens, it may seem like a very appealing vacation destination. So you may be asking yourself; is it too good to be true? How expensive is Puerto Rico? And what should my Puerto Rico budget be? Keep reading to find out. We’ll answer plenty of Puerto Rico budget related questions, as well as give you a sample 4 day Puerto Rico vacation budget, adjusted for 2024.
Puerto Rico Budget Basics
A few things to know when you are planning your Puerto Rico budget. First, Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar as their currency, since they are a U.S. territory. This makes it really easy for us U.S. travelers to stick to a budget when we are traveling because what you see is what you get – no conversion necessary. Also, because Puerto Rico is not a “foreign” country, U.S. credit cards will not have any foreign transaction fees.
How Expensive Is Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico is considered a moderate Caribbean travel destination. It’s not expensive, but it’s not cheap.
Below, we’ll break down some typical daily travel costs.
- Hotel or Home Rental: $80-280
- Lunch to-go: $9/person
- Sit down dinner: $30/person
- Local taxi/Uber ride: $18
- Car rental: $40/day
- Daily activities: $20/person
- Airfare from the continental U.S.: average $300/person
Accommodations
Your nightly accommodations will likely be the most expensive part of your Puerto Rico budget.
In San Juan, you’ll want to stay in a hotel or hostel. Home rentals are hard to find and they’re driving up the local cost of living in this condensed city. So limiting your search to hotels is a more sustainable way to travel.
Here are three different places to stay in San Juan with varying prices:
Budget level: $140/night – Fortaleza Suites
Mid-level: $260/night – Villa Herencia Hotel – the place we stayed
Luxury: $450/night – Caribe Hilton
Outside of San Juan, you can find much cheaper accommodations. Outside of San Juan, you can easily find nice places to stay for under $100/night, even on the beach. Luxury resort and hotel prices are around $300/night.
Transportation
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is just outside of San Juan. All of the major U.S. airlines fly here, even from smaller airports. Additionally, you’ll find smaller discount airlines, such as Spirit and Sun Country, which will have cheap and direct flight from lots of airports, even small ones.
Because of this, you can find pretty competitive and convenient flights to Puerto Rico. You can find great deals for under $100/person. Or you can find convenient one-way flights during peak season for $600/person. Whatever your preference, you will have no trouble finding a flight that works for you.
Gas, Taxis/Ride shares, and car rentals in Puerto Rico are pretty similar to other places in the U.S. Local taxi rides typically cost about $15-20. Rental cars average around $40/day.
Puerto Rico does not have great public transportation. However, you don’t necessarily need a car either. If you are planning on doing lots of guided tours, don’t worry about transportation as most guided tours include pickup from multiple San Juan hotels.
Puerto Rico has a great ferry network. In addition to being an efficient way to get around, it’s also really scenic. If you are planning on visiting Vieques or Culebra, you’ll want to book your ferry ticket 2 months in advance as the ferry’s are popular.
Is Puerto Rico Cheaper Than Hawaii Or Florida?
Absolutely. If you are looking for a warm vacation to escape the cold but you don’t want to leave the U.S. Puerto Rico is going to be the best option for you. With the ease of travel for U.S. citizens and warm weather, it beats any U.S. state for value.
Is Puerto Rico Cheaper Than Mexico?
Maybe. This question depends on your style of travel. If you are planning on staying in an all inclusive resort, you can get great deals on that in Mexico. However, if you are looking to do some independent travel, you can do it safely and cheap in Puerto Rico.
Is It Expensive To Eat In Puerto Rico?
No. However, it isn’t cheap either. Food prices in most Puerto Rican areas is comprable to food prices in the U.S. This is also true of grocery prices. If you’re willing to eat at street food vendors, and we think you should, you’ll find cheaper eats there. However, food in Puerto Rico isn’t nearly as cheap as it is in some other Caribbean destinations, like Belize or Jamaica.
Here are some food prices that we paid:
- Groceries for 4 breakfasts: $35
- Roadside pork: $8
- Dinner in San Juan for 2: $60
- Piña coladas in San Juan for 2: $22
- Fancy seafood dinner for 2: $85
- Dinner outside of San Juan for 2: $40
- Sit down lunch for 2: $25
Whatever your budget, make sure to try some of that roadside pork, lechón asado, and some mofongo, mashed plantains. These are the two most popular Puerto Rican dishes and we think everyone should give them a try!
If you’re eating at a sit down restaurant, don’t forget to tip your server between 15-20%!
Our Puerto Rico Budget
Here is our Puerto Rico travel budget for the two of us traveling in December for 5 days and 4 nights. We spent a total of $2,995 on our vacation.
- Flight for two: $610
- Food: $525 – we like to eat a lot
- Rental car for 3 days w/tolls: $310
- Gas: $60
- Hotels: $700
- Activities: $490
- Parking & animal boarding at home: $300
I would consider this to be between a budget level and a mid-range level trip. For a mid-range trip, budget $4,000/couple. For a luxury trip, budget $6,500 for a couple.
Tips For Saving Money In Puerto Rico
Walk places in San Juan – If you’re visiting San Juan, walk everywhere. Sure, you can take taxis, but the traffic mostly moves slower than the walkers. So save your self money and time and walk place. Check out our post on San Juan, including a map of attractions, to plan your day to minimize walking.
Eat at roadside vendors – Road side vendors and food trucks have very affordable food. Plus it’s very good food. Try those options, especially when you’re on the go, to save some money.
Book your ferries in advance – If you want to visit Culebra or Vieques, make sure to book your tickets two months in advance, when the ferry tickets have non-resident tickets available. If you fail to get a non-resident ticket, you will have to spend WAY MORE money to go with a guided tour.
Book your rental car and hotels in advance – Booking in advance can prevent you from overpaying for cars. Cars are always in demand on this small island. This is also true of hotels during busy seasons like Christmas and Spring Break. We’d recommend 3 months in advance for these busier times of year.
Bring a water bottle – Water is so expensive in all tourist destinations, including Puerto Rico. So save yourself some money by bringing a water bottle that you can carry with you. We love these collapsible water bottles which can fold up and go in your pocket when they are empty. Water is safe to drink in most places.
Avoid tours – lots of guided tours, like El Yunque, are things you can do on your own. So avoid doing tours when possible to save yourself money. Plus, you’ll get to travel at your own pace!
When Is The Cheapest Time To Visit Puerto Rico?
Peak hurricane season (August-October) historically are the cheapest months to visit Puerto Rico. Which makes sense. During this time, you’ll find cheaper airfare and accommodation prices. However, the weather may ruin some or all of your vacation plans.
March (U.S.’s Spring Break month) historically is the most expensive time to visit. December is also a popular time to visit, especially around the Christmas holiday. Our budget above, reflects a visit in December. So even during popular tourist seasons, you can still find a deal. You just need to book farther in advance to get that good deal.
So is Puerto Rico expensive? We don’t think so. But it’s not cheap either. We hope this Puerto Rico budget breakdown has helped you to decide if you you’re interested in visiting. If you are, make sure to check out our other Puerto Rico posts to help you plan your vacation. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below and we’d be happy to break open our Puerto Rico budget spreadsheet to help you out.
