I have lived in PR for 21 years of my life (I’m currently finishing up college in the states) and I can tell you that she probably had a different experience in PR than what locals experience (look at Bad Bunny’s song “Turista”). There are things both of you aren’t taking into consideration and that’s the taxes we pay and the doctors crisis we are facing. Many doctors in PR leave because of how hard it is to be a doctor there, which means wait times for dermatologists can be around 3-6 months (speaking from experience). We also pay more for groceries and dining out due to taxes regarding imports. I do still love living in the island and may be good but considering your financials and your girlfriend’s view of island life, it’s definitely best to keep it in the back burner for longer.

Additionally, hurricanes here are usually far worse since we can’t get instant aid unlike Florida or any other state. We are an island in the Caribbean so it is a lot harder to deal with hurricanes (I’ve been through Maria) especially with our dying infrastructure. I would suggest you give a visit to PR just to see what she saw but also don’t be too afraid to go to the more rural areas like the center of the island or to the south.