Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Belmopan

For one person, living is cheaper in Belmopan: $1,072 a month against $1,236 in Belize City, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index

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Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,236

/mo nomad

Belmopan

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belize City and in Belmopan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Belize City and in Belmopan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Belize City versus $1,072 in Belmopan.

Belize City $1,236
Belmopan $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,798 in Belize City versus $1,545 in Belmopan.

Belize City $1,798
Belmopan $1,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,360 in Belize City versus $2,019 in Belmopan.

Belize City $2,360
Belmopan $2,019

Living in Belize City is roughly 15% more expensive than in Belmopan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 9% lower, Belmopan 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 BZD 12.81

$7.38 BZD 14.76

-13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.73 BZD 99.5

$17.60 BZD 35.21

182.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 BZD 19.30

$7.55 BZD 15.11

27.81%

Cappuccino

$3.59 BZD 7.17

$5.63 BZD 11.27

-36.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 BZD 3.44

$0.64 BZD 1.29

168.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BZD 2.83

$0.52 BZD 1.04

171.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 BZD 5.17

$1.52 BZD 3.04

70.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 BZD 6.13

$2.28 BZD 4.56

34.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.68 BZD 7.36

$2.33 BZD 4.67

57.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 BZD 5.03

$1.61 BZD 3.22

55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 BZD 6.91

$1.66 BZD 3.32

107.83%

Eggs

$3.65 BZD 7.30

$1.89 BZD 3.79

93.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 BZD 13.08

$8.61 BZD 17.22

-24.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 BZD 19.61

$6.78 BZD 13.55

44.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 BZD 18.22

$12.27 BZD 24.54

-25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 BZD 5.39

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 BZD 3.70

$1.07 BZD 2.14

72.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 BZD 5.40

$2.17 BZD 4.35

24.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 BZD 6.02

$5.41 BZD 10.82

-44.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 BZD 8.12

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 BZD 5.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 BZD 4.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 BZD 3.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 BZD 9.05

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 BZD 19.87

$17.56 BZD 35.12

-43.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 BZD 4.76

$2.24 BZD 4.48

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 BZD 4.04

$2.30 BZD 4.60

-12.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 BZD 8.06

$3.95 BZD 7.89

2.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 BZD 9.85

$3.22 BZD 6.45

52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 BZD 7.95

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.49 BZD 4.98

$1.78 BZD 3.55

39.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$376 BZD 753

$147 BZD 293

156.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.3 BZD 101

$49.01 BZD 98.0

2.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.00 BZD 54.0

$38.85 BZD 77.7

-30.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.75 BZD 49.51

$44.85 BZD 89.7

-44.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 BZD 4.89

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 BZD 10.15

$9.06 BZD 18.12

-44.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$65.5 BZD 131

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$684 BZD 1,369

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 BZD 65.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 BZD 49.90

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.57 BZD 75.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 BZD 75.7

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 BZD 687

$446 BZD 891

-22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 BZD 386

$326 BZD 653

-40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 BZD 1,127

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 BZD 641

$555 BZD 1,110

-42.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$849 BZD 1,698

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Belize City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Belmopan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belize City

$454 36.7%

Belmopan

–

Groceries & Markets

Belize City

$318 25.8%

Belmopan

–

Accommodation & Living

Belize City

$193 15.6%

Belmopan

–

Eating Out

Belize City

$155 12.5%

Belmopan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Belize City

$60 4.9%

Belmopan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Belize City

$35 2.8%

Belmopan

–

Getting Around

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

Belmopan

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Belize City and $446 in Belmopan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Belize City vs $18 in Belmopan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $243 per month, with Belmopan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belize City

🇧🇿 Belmopan

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

Same time as Belize City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,999

14,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.448 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belize City Belmopan 67 km

From you

Belize City
Belmopan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Belize City vs Belmopan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belmopan wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Belmopan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,854 in Belize City and $1,608 in Belmopan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $344 in Belize City versus $446 in Belmopan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,236 per month in Belize City versus $1,072 in Belmopan – Belmopan is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Belmopan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.