Renting
Data from November 2026
Renting in Puerto Rico
The typical rent in Puerto Rico is $578 a month (Average 2020–2024). HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms is about $641 (Fiscal year 2027, population-weighted average): paying it without spending more than 30% of income takes $12.33 an hour full time. Here are the figures by size and by municipality, how many households spend too much, and where to ask for help.
Key numbers in Puerto Rico
- Typical rent
- $578
- per month, Average 2020–2024
- 59% less than the U.S.
- Fair market rent, 2 BR
- $641
- HUD, Fiscal year 2027, weighted average
- From $517 to $706 depending on the municipality.
- Wage needed
- $12.33
- per hour, 2 bedrooms
- About $25,640 a year to stay under 30% of income.
- Burdened households
- 51%
- spend 30% or more on rent
- Nationwide, 51%.
Fair market rent
What HUD sets by size
HUD publishes a fair market rent every year by area and home size; Section 8 and other programs use it to set what they cover. Here it runs from the cheapest to the most expensive area of Puerto Rico, with the hourly wage it takes to pay it without going past 30% of income (40 hours a week).
Includes basic utilities. It is neither the lowest nor the highest rent on the market: it is a reference point.
-
Studio
Wage: $8.65–$11.38 an hour
Lowest: $450 Highest: $592
-
1 bedroom
Wage: $8.75–$11.62 an hour
Lowest: $455 Highest: $604
-
2 bedrooms
Wage: $9.94–$13.58 an hour
Lowest: $517 Highest: $706
-
3 bedrooms
Wage: $13.10–$17.69 an hour
Lowest: $681 Highest: $920
-
4 bedrooms
Wage: $13.96–$21.48 an hour
Lowest: $726 Highest: $1,117
Each bar runs from the cheapest area to the most expensive; all share one scale that starts at zero. Source: Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)
Rent burden
How many households spend too much
HUD counts rent as a burden when it reaches 30% of income or more. In Puerto Rico, 51% of renter households are in that position; nationwide, 51% (Average 2020–2024, Census).
Paying too much rent leaves little for food, transportation and savings. If that is you, the agencies below can guide you for free.
51%
of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
414,280 renter households in Puerto Rico
- Spend half or more of their income 27%
- Spend 30% or more, but less than half 24%
- Spend less than 30% 49%
By place
Every municipality, with its figure
The 2-bedroom fair market rent, the typical rent, the hourly wage it takes and the share of burdened households, in every municipality in Puerto Rico. Highest fair market rent first.
| Guaynabo Municipio | $706 | $901 | $13.58 | 43% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorado Municipio | $706 | $715 | $13.58 | 40% |
| Toa Baja Municipio | $706 | $713 | $13.58 | 41% |
| Bayamón Municipio | $706 | $703 | $13.58 | 56% |
| Trujillo Alto Municipio | $706 | $694 | $13.58 | 46% |
| Toa Alta Municipio | $706 | $690 | $13.58 | 61% |
| Florida Municipio | $706 | $688 | $13.58 | — |
| Carolina Municipio | $706 | $677 | $13.58 | 50% |
| Vega Alta Municipio | $706 | $667 | $13.58 | 54% |
| Vega Baja Municipio | $706 | $650 | $13.58 | 49% |
| Morovis Municipio | $706 | $618 | $13.58 | 47% |
| San Juan Municipio | $706 | $611 | $13.58 | 53% |
| Río Grande Municipio | $706 | $585 | $13.58 | 61% |
| Barceloneta Municipio | $706 | $582 | $13.58 | 64% |
| Juncos Municipio | $706 | $577 | $13.58 | 52% |
| Canóvanas Municipio | $706 | $568 | $13.58 | 52% |
| Humacao Municipio | $706 | $568 | $13.58 | 45% |
| Las Piedras Municipio | $706 | $565 | $13.58 | 55% |
| Cataño Municipio | $706 | $564 | $13.58 | 42% |
| Maunabo Municipio | $706 | $549 | $13.58 | — |
| Manatí Municipio | $706 | $538 | $13.58 | 49% |
| Naguabo Municipio | $706 | $528 | $13.58 | — |
| Comerío Municipio | $706 | $512 | $13.58 | — |
| Corozal Municipio | $706 | $497 | $13.58 | — |
| Yabucoa Municipio | $706 | $489 | $13.58 | 58% |
| Naranjito Municipio | $706 | $488 | $13.58 | — |
| Aguas Buenas Municipio | $706 | $468 | $13.58 | 40% |
| Loíza Municipio | $706 | $464 | $13.58 | 53% |
| Fajardo Municipio | $639 | $625 | $12.29 | 56% |
| Ceiba Municipio | $639 | $538 | $12.29 | — |
| Luquillo Municipio | $639 | $504 | $12.29 | 52% |
| Gurabo Municipio | $617 | $678 | $11.87 | 40% |
| Caguas Municipio | $617 | $659 | $11.87 | 55% |
| San Lorenzo Municipio | $617 | $579 | $11.87 | 54% |
| Cidra Municipio | $617 | $577 | $11.87 | 35% |
| Cayey Municipio | $617 | $540 | $11.87 | 41% |
| Rincón Municipio | $613 | $604 | $11.79 | — |
| Isabela Municipio | $613 | $582 | $11.79 | 52% |
| Añasco Municipio | $613 | $576 | $11.79 | — |
| Moca Municipio | $613 | $512 | $11.79 | 47% |
| Aguadilla Municipio | $613 | $509 | $11.79 | 44% |
| San Sebastián Municipio | $613 | $508 | $11.79 | 54% |
| Aguada Municipio | $613 | $475 | $11.79 | — |
| Hormigueros Municipio | $603 | $559 | $11.60 | 50% |
| Mayagüez Municipio | $603 | $484 | $11.60 | 60% |
| Cabo Rojo Municipio | $581 | $590 | $11.17 | 55% |
| San Germán Municipio | $581 | $481 | $11.17 | 52% |
| Lajas Municipio | $581 | $479 | $11.17 | — |
| Sabana Grande Municipio | $581 | $463 | $11.17 | — |
| Juana Díaz Municipio | $573 | $559 | $11.02 | 55% |
| Ponce Municipio | $573 | $536 | $11.02 | 55% |
| Villalba Municipio | $573 | $517 | $11.02 | — |
| Camuy Municipio | $559 | $611 | $10.75 | 48% |
| Hatillo Municipio | $559 | $595 | $10.75 | 46% |
| Arecibo Municipio | $559 | $531 | $10.75 | 40% |
| Quebradillas Municipio | $559 | $521 | $10.75 | — |
| Yauco Municipio | $535 | $551 | $10.29 | 47% |
| Peñuelas Municipio | $535 | $489 | $10.29 | — |
| Guayanilla Municipio | $535 | $454 | $10.29 | — |
| Barranquitas Municipio | $521 | $505 | $10.02 | 38% |
| Orocovis Municipio | $521 | $499 | $10.02 | 48% |
| Aibonito Municipio | $521 | $481 | $10.02 | 45% |
| Ciales Municipio | $521 | $431 | $10.02 | 49% |
| Patillas Municipio | $517 | $543 | $9.94 | 58% |
| Salinas Municipio | $517 | $530 | $9.94 | 42% |
| Culebra Municipio | $517 | $528 | $9.94 | — |
| Coamo Municipio | $517 | $521 | $9.94 | 53% |
| Lares Municipio | $517 | $505 | $9.94 | 51% |
| Santa Isabel Municipio | $517 | $489 | $9.94 | — |
| Utuado Municipio | $517 | $476 | $9.94 | 40% |
| Arroyo Municipio | $517 | $472 | $9.94 | 52% |
| Jayuya Municipio | $517 | $456 | $9.94 | 51% |
| Guayama Municipio | $517 | $436 | $9.94 | 42% |
| Vieques Municipio | $517 | $430 | $9.94 | — |
| Adjuntas Municipio | $517 | $425 | $9.94 | 48% |
| Maricao Municipio | $517 | $413 | $9.94 | — |
| Las Marías Municipio | $517 | $412 | $9.94 | — |
| Guánica Municipio | $517 | $349 | $9.94 | — |
- Guaynabo $706$13.58
- Dorado $706$13.58
- Toa Baja $706$13.58
- Bayamón $706$13.58
- Trujillo Alto $706$13.58
- Toa Alta $706$13.58
- Florida $706$13.58
- Carolina $706$13.58
- Vega Alta $706$13.58
- Vega Baja $706$13.58
- Morovis $706$13.58
- San Juan $706$13.58
- Río Grande $706$13.58
- Barceloneta $706$13.58
- Juncos $706$13.58
- Canóvanas $706$13.58
- Humacao $706$13.58
- Las Piedras $706$13.58
- Cataño $706$13.58
- Maunabo $706$13.58
- Manatí $706$13.58
- Naguabo $706$13.58
- Comerío $706$13.58
- Corozal $706$13.58
- Yabucoa $706$13.58
- Naranjito $706$13.58
- Aguas Buenas $706$13.58
- Loíza $706$13.58
- Fajardo $639$12.29
- Ceiba $639$12.29
- Luquillo $639$12.29
- Gurabo $617$11.87
- Caguas $617$11.87
- San Lorenzo $617$11.87
- Cidra $617$11.87
- Cayey $617$11.87
- Rincón $613$11.79
- Isabela $613$11.79
- Añasco $613$11.79
- Moca $613$11.79
- Aguadilla $613$11.79
- San Sebastián $613$11.79
- Aguada $613$11.79
- Hormigueros $603$11.60
- Mayagüez $603$11.60
- Cabo Rojo $581$11.17
- San Germán $581$11.17
- Lajas $581$11.17
- Sabana Grande $581$11.17
- Juana Díaz $573$11.02
- Ponce $573$11.02
- Villalba $573$11.02
- Camuy $559$10.75
- Hatillo $559$10.75
- Arecibo $559$10.75
- Quebradillas $559$10.75
- Yauco $535$10.29
- Peñuelas $535$10.29
- Guayanilla $535$10.29
- Barranquitas $521$10.02
- Orocovis $521$10.02
- Aibonito $521$10.02
- Ciales $521$10.02
- Patillas $517$9.94
- Salinas $517$9.94
- Culebra $517$9.94
- Coamo $517$9.94
- Lares $517$9.94
- Santa Isabel $517$9.94
- Utuado $517$9.94
- Arroyo $517$9.94
- Jayuya $517$9.94
- Guayama $517$9.94
- Vieques $517$9.94
- Adjuntas $517$9.94
- Maricao $517$9.94
- Las Marías $517$9.94
- Guánica $517$9.94
Source: Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site) Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (external site)
Your rights as a tenant in Puerto Rico
What Puerto Rico law says about deposits, notices and eviction, with the citation for each rule.
See your rights, rule by ruleA summary of state law, not legal advice. Cities may have additional rules.
- Only a court order can remove youCód. Enj. Civ. P.R. arts. 620-633 (32 L.P.R.A. §§2821-2837); Ley Núm. 35 de 21 de noviembre de 1941, art. 1 (33 L.P.R.A. §1881)
Help
Where to ask for help with rent in Puerto Rico
Free or official help. Demand usually exceeds funding, so waiting lists are common: ask at the agency for your municipality.
-
9 counseling agencies
HUD-approved; 7 serve in Spanish. They counsel renters for free.
See the agencies
Tool
How much rent can you afford?
Enter your income and compare with the fair market rent in your municipality.
Frequently asked questions
Which municipality in Puerto Rico is the most expensive to rent in?
By 2-bedroom fair market rent (Fiscal year 2027), the most expensive is Guaynabo Municipio ($706, about $13.58 an hour) and the cheapest Patillas Municipio ($517, about $9.94 an hour).
How many households in Puerto Rico spend too much on rent?
51% of renter households in Puerto Rico spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 27% spend half or more (Average 2020–2024, Census). Nationwide, 51%.
What is fair market rent?
A figure HUD publishes every year by area and home size; Section 8 and other programs use it to set what they pay. It is not a market price or a cap on landlords. In Puerto Rico, for 2 bedrooms in Fiscal year 2027, it runs from $517 to $706 depending on the municipality.
Where do I ask for help paying rent in Puerto Rico?
73 public housing agencies run Section 8 vouchers and public housing in Puerto Rico; demand usually exceeds funding and waiting lists are common. HUD-approved counseling agencies counsel for free. Your municipality page shows the nearest ones.