Moving to Massachusetts from Puerto Rico

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 77.2% more expensive than Puerto Rico overall. A $75,000 salary in Puerto Rico would need to be roughly $98,324 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $98,324

To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 46.5% more

Groceries

pay 13.2% more

Transportation

pay 40.8% more

Housing

pay 96.4% more

Childcare

pay 3.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 65.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Get free moving quotes to Massachusetts

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2018
1 ↓ 83% vs 2017

people moved from Puerto Rico to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Puerto Rico and Massachusetts stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessThe World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

PR
77.7%
MA
91.9%

Massachusetts performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PR
6.0%
MA
4.7%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PR
$43,000
MA
$87,892

Massachusetts performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PR
81.7 yrs
MA
79.0 yrs

Puerto Rico performs better than Massachusetts across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Puerto Rico and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Puerto Rico

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Puerto Rico without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Puerto Rico?

Day-to-day costs in Massachusetts run about 31% higher than Puerto Rico on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $24,581 in Massachusetts for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Massachusetts?

Working remotely from Massachusetts's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Puerto Rico and Massachusetts.

What language do they speak in Massachusetts?

The official language in Massachusetts is English. In Puerto Rico, the official languages are English and Spanish.

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At a Glance

PR
Population3,098,4236,547,629
CurrencyUnited States Dollar ($)United States Dollar ($)
LanguagesEnglish, SpanishEnglish
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+1+1
Time zones111
Emergency number911