CoquiList Market Report: median rent hits $1,500 in San Juan while Mayagüez holds at $680

The first CoquiList Market Report, based on analysis of over 59,000 active real estate listings and 63,000 vehicle listings published across the island, reveals a dramatic housing cost gap between the metro area and the rest of Puerto Rico — and signs that the rental market is beginning to cool ¹.

The median asking rent in San Juan and Carolina is $1,500 per month. In Guaynabo it rises to $2,100, and in Dorado it reaches $2,500, the highest among municipalities with significant volume. At the other extreme, Mayagüez registers a median of just $680 — less than half the capital — followed by Toa Baja ($925), Caguas ($975), and Ponce and Aguadilla ($1,000) ¹.

The key numbers

Median monthly rent by municipality (active listings): Dorado $2,500 · Humacao $2,138 · Guaynabo $2,100 · Río Grande $2,000 · San Juan $1,500 · Carolina $1,500 · Cabo Rojo $1,400 · Fajardo $1,300 · Trujillo Alto $1,300 · Bayamón $1,100 · Aguadilla $1,000 · Ponce $1,000 · Caguas $975 · Toa Baja $925 · Mayagüez $680.

By size (island-wide): one bedroom $750 · two bedrooms $1,025 · three bedrooms $1,500 · four bedrooms $2,400 ¹.

Median sale price: Dorado leads at $490,000, followed by Guaynabo ($440,000), Humacao ($350,000), San Juan ($334,000) and Isabela ($327,000). The most affordable municipalities with deep inventory are Mayagüez ($175,000), Arecibo ($220,000) and Bayamón ($230,000) ¹.

The quarterly trend: comparing listings published in the third quarter of 2026 (July-August) against the second quarter, the median asking rent fell from $1,150 to $1,100 — a 4.3% drop. Sale prices held essentially flat ($269,000 to $270,000). In used vehicles, the median asking price fell 3.2%, from $23,767 to $22,995 ¹.

What it means for you

If you're hunting for a rental, the data suggests August 2026 is a better time to negotiate than three months ago: there are over 33,000 active rental listings and asking prices are trending down. The economic contraction now spanning six months ² and the drought's hit to consumer wallets ³ are cooling demand, and landlords are feeling it.

If you're selling property, the sale market is holding up better than rentals — asking prices haven't budged. But inventory is deep: over 26,000 properties for sale are competing for buyers.

If you're buying a used car, the 3.2% drop in the median price gives you room to negotiate, especially in a market with over 60,000 vehicles listed.

How to use this data / Checklist

1. Compare the rent you're being asked against your municipality's median in this list — if you're being asked 20% more, you have grounds to negotiate.
2. Check prices by municipality at coquilist.com/real-estate-prices, where we publish continuously updated statistics.
3. If you're relocating on a tight budget, consider the west: Mayagüez and Aguadilla combine low rents with access to universities and services.
4. Before buying a car, search the model in the classifieds and compare against the $22,995 median.

Methodology

This report analyzes asking prices of active listings on CoquiList as of August 21, 2026: 33,370 rentals and 26,012 properties for sale, plus 63,093 vehicles published between April and August. Outliers were excluded (rents outside $300-$10,000, sales outside $30,000-$2,000,000, vehicles outside $1,000-$150,000). Municipal medians require a minimum of 80 active listings. Asking prices are not closing prices, but they reflect market expectations in real time.

What's next

CoquiList will publish this report quarterly. The next one, in November 2026, will measure whether the rent decline accelerates as hurricane season closes and whether the sale market withstands recession pressure.

Sources

¹ CoquiList data analysis — coquilist.com/real-estate-prices ² CoquiList: The recession reaches six months of economic contraction ³ CoquiList: The consumer Financial Fragility Index rose 8.5 points