How to live cheap in San Juan? (apartment, neighborhood)

[thedude109]

I was wondering if anyone has some advice for me. I find the grocery store near my apartment in Miramar (Pueblos) to be incredibly expensive. Everything, even local stuff seems to be twice (sometimes three times) more than the States. Everywhere I look online, people say the cost of living is about the same as the States. So whats the trick? Where do you eat? People bash fast food here, but I can go to subway and get a chicken sandwich for about the same price as a peanut butter and jelly on white bread from the grocery store.

So where to shop? What to buy? I'm on a limited budget for the next 3 months and just have to live as cheap as physically possible.

Thanks

[gemstone1]

WalMart, Sams and Costco are your best bet. If you want to try local and your Spanish is good, try Plaza Loiza, on Calle Loiza...lots of spices/fruits/veggies/herbs/meats/fish...it's not far from you...If you want good bread, better start baking your own. Don't look for flavored coffee...it does not exist on the island, local coffee Crema, (Creama ?), I forget, but it's good.

Regards
Gemstone1

[clip314]

First of all Miramar is an uppity higher income area of San Juan therefore the super market prices reflect the area. Same goes for Condado, Isla Verde and beach areas that attract a lot of tourists who are willing to pay anything for a short period of time.


Is this situation only for Puerto Rico? No, it applies to South Beach Florida, Manhattan, Most of San Francisco, Lake Shore neighborhood in Chicago, I could go on and on.


Cheap food is found in Rio Piedras where there is a large student and poor Dominican population.
Check out Plazas del mercado in Santurce and Rio piedras.

[La Boricua Rosa]

Try Supermax!