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Ottawa vs San Juan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Ottawa
๐ต๐ท San Juan
At a glance
- Where San Juan is clearly cheaper: Transit (75%โ), Scooter rental (46%โ), Entry ticket (41%โ)
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Laundry (47%โ), Massage (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Ottawa is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ottawa 1 vs San Juan 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ottawa | San Juan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 20$14.7 | $ 15$15 | similar |
| Street food1 item | C$ 13$9.56 | $ 7$7 | San Juan โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 35$35 | Ottawa โ5% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Ottawa โ10% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8.5$6.25 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 17$12.5 | $ 11$11 | San Juan โ12% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.5$1.84 | $ 1.8$1.8 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3$2.21 | $ 2.3$2.3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 16$11.8 | $ 11$11 | San Juan โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 8$8 | Ottawa โ8% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 4.1$3.01 | $ 0.75$0.75 | San Juan โ75% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 50$36.8 | $ 20$20 | San Juan โ46% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 210$154 | $ 175$175 | Ottawa โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,960$1,441 | $ 1,200$1,200 | San Juan โ17% |
| Laundry | C$ 5$3.68 | $ 7$7 | Ottawa โ47% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 30$30 | Ottawa โ14% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 30$22.1 | $ 20$20 | San Juan โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 105$77.2 | $ 100$100 | Ottawa โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 60$44.1 | $ 50$50 | Ottawa โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 23$16.9 | $ 10$10 | San Juan โ41% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ottawa or San Juan?
Ottawa and San Juan cost about the same. Daily budget $275 vs $298; a month $5,131 vs $5,132.
Which is easier to travel, Ottawa or San Juan?
Ottawa is easier: Ottawa 1.4/5 vs San Juan 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ottawa and San Juan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ottawa is about $5,131 and San Juan about $5,132 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.