San Juan, Puerto Rico — June 17, 2025. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute released the results of the Cost of Living Index (COLI) for the first quarter of 2025 (January-March). The data reveals that in the urban area of Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas, public services registered an index of 161.0 (position 5 out of 282), equivalent to a cost 61% higher than the average of the participating jurisdictions. The main factor behind this gap is the residential electricity rate, whose price was 90.5% above the average of the urban areas participating in the study.

More expensive foods

In the supermarket category, the data reveal that the urban area of San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas is ranked 13th out of 282 participating urban areas in the United States, with an index of 110.7. This indicates that the cost of food in this urban area is 10.7% higher than the average for the rest of the participating areas.

Among the supermarket items considered for the COLI study, several products registered particularly high price gaps compared to the average of the participating jurisdictions.

Here are some selected items:

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An MSA is delimited according to demographic and economic criteria, considering the degree of socioeconomic integration measured by the daily movements of individuals within the urban area to their urban core. This metropolitan area has more than 2 million people, about two-thirds of the total population of Puerto Rico, so its prices affect the well-being of most households in the country.

The San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas MSA, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is comprised of 40 municipalities. Of these municipalities, 15 meet the characteristics for price collection according to the established methodology. These are: Bayamón, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cataño, Cidra, Dorado, Gurabo, Guaynabo, Rio Grande, San Juan, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto and Vega Alta.

General MSA Indicators

Below are the overall results of the 6 categories considered for COLI.

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“The fact that the residential electricity rate in Puerto Rico is 90.5% higher than the average of the urban areas participating in the COLI shows a structural distortion in the energy system. This situation directly makes the daily lives of households more expensive and reduces their financial room for maneuver. Combined with the increase in the cost of food, this translates into a clear deterioration in the standard of living of citizens,” explained Dr. Ronald G. Hernández Maldonado, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

“The composite index reflects very high costs in public services and food, partially offset by relatively low prices in health care, transportation and other miscellaneous goods,” Hernández said.

The COLI, developed since 1968 by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), measures quarterly the relative cost of living in participating urban areas of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute offers an interactive calculator to compare the cost of living between the San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas MSA and other participating cities: https://apps.estadisticas.pr/coli/.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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PRESS RELEASE

They will present the Virtual Forum on Statistics and Technology

The activity is free of cost

Fulfilling its mission to lead in the use of technology as a work tool and service in the development of better statistics, the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics will hold the Virtual Forum on Statistics and Technology on Friday, May 7, 2021 from 8:30 in the morning to 12:30 in the afternoon. The activity is free of charge, but it requires that participants register, from now on, through the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8947053084746770957

The event will include two educational sessions. The first session will present the following topics: Statistics and technology to understand population characteristics; Technology: An essential tool for economic statistics, as well as the interconnectivity of systems to improve government statistics. In the second intervention, the topics will be the following: Tools for visualizing statistics and indicators and The Future Now: “Big Data”.

As reported, the forum is aimed at statisticians, economists, professionals in the field of technology, students of business administration, public health, demographers, in short, anyone with an interest in statistical and technological issues. In the same way, we urge students from public and private schools at the higher level (High School) to register and benefit from this extraordinary educational opportunity. Participants will receive a certificate through their emails.

“This forum allows us to continue educating about how technology is an ally and an essential tool for the development of better quality statistics and effective data visualizations. Spaces like this give us the opportunity to interact with different representatives of academic and governmental sectors, private companies, non-profit organizations, as well as with the research community on how, through technology, we can provide the statistical data that is so essential in decision-making to promote economic and social development in Puerto Rico,” explained Dr. Orville M. Disdier, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity tasked with coordinating the government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and accessible quickly and universally.

For more information you can visit the website: https://estadisticas.pr.gov/. In addition, you can follow the Institute on social networks, through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Contact:

Idia M. Martinez, R-28

787-603-3200

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Census Bureau and the University of the Sacred Heart carry out activities ¡Puerto Rico Cuenta!