How to plan a trip to Puerto Rico on a budget
In this guide, we want to talk about visiting Puerto Rico on a budget.
We’ll cover important things to know about budget travel to Puerto Rico including info on the language and currency, some safety tips as well best practices for getting in and around the island.
How to plan a trip to Puerto Rico on a budget
Before we cover budgeting when it comes to travel in Puerto Rico and how much things cost, let’s look at some of these other factors including safety, which will ultimately save you money.
Is Puerto Rico safe?
It’s important to do your homework on crime wherever you are heading.
Puerto Rico is generally a safe country to travel around, especially along the West Coast in areas such as Rincón and Aguadilla.
San Juan can be more dangerous, especially in the more urban areas in the South. Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan) is a pretty safe area to stay in and explore.
However, most reports of crime are usually regarding robbery or pickpocketing. You can bring a Safe Wallet along with you to protect your cash and valuables If you are a female traveling alone, then just take note that Latins are known to be extra friendly towards European Women.
This is usually just a harmless conversation, however, if this makes you uncomfortable then it would be better to stay in more touristy areas or travel around in a group.
Language and Currency
Spanish is the predominant language spoken in Puerto Rico. The Spanish spoken here is distinct, with many characteristics merged in from the Tainos (native Puerto Ricans), African and English influences.
If Spanish is your second language, then it may take some time to get used to it, however, it’s certainly not as difficult as some of the other Latin American varieties.
As Puerto Rico is a US territory, you’ll find that lots of the services and touristy zones are set up in English.
Despite this, only around 10% of the population actually speak English, making Spanish the go-to for those looking to mingle with the locals.
The currency used in Puerto Rico is US Dollars, which will be fresh for those who’ve already been traveling throughout Latin America.
It’s very easy to withdraw dollars in the country and this is one of the reasons many come to holiday here from the US.
Getting In and around the Country
Puerto Rico is a small island, which makes getting around so, so easy!
Probably the longest bus you could take is up to 5 or 6 hours, which is a luxury for those who’ve already trekked across Latin America.
Flights
As a US territory, flights to and from the USA are your best bet. They tend to be relatively inexpensive and connect directly with many major US cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Miami and Houston.
San Juan is the capital and where you’ll most likely arrive to. There is also a smaller airport in Aguadilla, however, this serves mostly domestic flights and a small few internationally.
Flights in Aguadilla will also be more expensive due to having lesser capacity than the capital.
The west coast in Puerto Rico is steadily becoming more popular to visit. If arriving in San Juan, you can get take a domestic flight over to Aguadilla.
Car Rental
Due to its small size, Puerto Rico is very easy to explore by renting a car.
We’re only talking a few hours on the road between destinations, something that will definitely appeal to who’ve already driven throughout much parts of Latin America!
Me and a buddy explored the whole island by car within 24 hours, which whilst a bit extreme, just shows how easy it can be.
Most of the roads are in good condition; however, some more rural parts like Maricao can have access issues, especially during the rainy season.
In most of the major cities, you can expect to pay roughly $25-35 per day. On the island of Vieques, you can expect higher costs of around $40+ per day.
Buses
San Juan has a good system of buses to get through the city and municipality.
There is also a light-train service that connects the Capital to a few other nearby regions such as Bayamón and Guaynabo.
For getting around the rest of the island, there are no “definite” companies to use when it comes to buses. You’ll need to explore once you reach the ground, however, a good way of getting between A and B is by using shuttle buses.
These cover longer distances, usually connecting major cities such as Ponce, Aguadilla and San Juan. The only downside of the shuttles is that they tend to be quite expensive.
Entry and Exit
Your only option really is to fly here. No land borders with this island!
As already mentioned, flying from the USA is the easiest as Puerto Rico is a US territory, which means cheap and frequent flights. A one-way ticket generally costs around $80-120.
There also lots of international flights that arrive to the island from all over the World. Some of the most popular and cheap airlines include Norwegian and Delta.
Officially this is the only way to get in and out of the country. Having spoken to locals, there is a way of arriving via boats from the Dominican Republic, however, these are extremely infrequent.
If you do opt for this, be careful as many of the boats are making the trip over illegally.
Last but not least, you can also arrive in Puerto Rico with some of the large cruise ships that stop off around the Caribbean.
These are definitely not backpacker friendly on the wallet, but is still useful to know!
Planning a Trip Puerto Rico
Below we’ll cover some tips on how to pack for Puerto Rico, and also look at potential vaccinations you may need.
What to Pack
Packing for Puerto Rico is relatively straightforward.
Although the weather can vary throughout the year, temperatures remain consistently warm, meaning light clothes and beachwear will be your main staples. You can also bring snorkeling equipment, although many local tours will provide these for you
Of course, you should always pack a jumper or another warmer layer, especially if you are heading during the rainy season or to some of the less predictable areas like Maricao.
As well as clothes, some of the other things you’ll want to bring include; toiletries, hiking boots, towels, a sleeping mattress, backup wallets and cards, a laptop or electronics, hammock, a tent etc.
There are loads of great packing videos on YouTube, which can help you with what you might need as well as how to save space when packing.
Injections
It’s highly recommended to keep up to date with your vaccinations before travelling.
We’ve listed a few that are recommended to get before heading to Puerto Rico below.
We are not medically trained, so please consult your doctor for advice as they will know exactly what you will need.
- Tetanus
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies
Costs and Budgeting
In this section we’ll explore typical costs associated with backpacking in Puerto Rico.
Thankfully as they use USD, it should be a lot easier to work out things and get a budget together, which we’ll also take a look at. The costs we listed here are correct as of July 2021.
Costs
Here we’ll outline some of the typical costs to help you plan. These will vary depending on where you are, and also if you visit during the holiday seasons.
- Average Dorm Bed = $7-15
- Private Single Room in a Hostel = $20-40
- A Street Food Dish = $2-3
- A Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant = $10-15
- Beer at a Local Bar or Dive = $2
- Beer at a Touristy Bar = $3-4
- One Way flight from San Juan to Aguadilla = $250-300
Budgeting
Using the figures above, we can start to work out a healthy budget for backpacking Puerto Rico.
Of course this will vary depending on how you travel. Note that the following only covers accommodation, food, and some extras (not flights, long buses, visas, impulsive spending etc).
The average backpacker will be spending around $35 a day.
This would include sleeping in a dorm bed, sticking mostly to low-scale restaurants, maybe a taxi or two and also a few beers at night.
For those who want private rooms, you can expect your daily budget to be around $60.
As you can see, Puerto Rico is definitely on the more costly side compared to other regions in Latin America.
Hopefully, you’ll have a better idea now of what it might cost to backpack in Puerto Rico. The key thing here is to experiment and work it out as you go along.
If you need help making a budget, reach out to us and we can help you get a plan together.
How to plan a trip to Puerto Rico on a budget
Be sure to read our guide on backpacking Puerto Rico for places to visit.
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