Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize City: $1,234 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,234

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belize City and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,234 in Belize City versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Belize City $1,234
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Belize City versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Belize City $1,795
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,356 in Belize City versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Belize City $2,356
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Belize City costs roughly 75% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belize City is 9% below, New York, NY is 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.35 BZD 12.70

$26.93 $26.93

-76.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.23 BZD 98.5

$117 $117

-57.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 BZD 19.18

$14.60 $14.60

-34.32%

Cappuccino

$3.57 BZD 7.13

$6.54 $6.54

-45.41%

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

$1.65 BZD 3.30

$3.86 $3.86

-57.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$2.95 $2.95

-50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 BZD 4.97

$8.08 $8.08

-69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 BZD 5.95

$9.85 $9.85

-69.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.64 BZD 7.28

$1.31 $1.31

177.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 BZD 5.32

$4.97 $4.97

-46.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 BZD 6.86

$7.70 $7.70

-55.45%

Eggs

$3.66 BZD 7.31

$6.09 $6.09

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 BZD 13.33

$19.55 $19.55

-65.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 BZD 19.04

$17.59 $17.59

-45.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 BZD 17.87

$20.26 $20.26

-55.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 BZD 5.44

$6.99 $6.99

-61.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 BZD 3.61

$2.21 $2.21

-18.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 BZD 5.52

$6.72 $6.72

-58.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 BZD 6.01

$7.12 $7.12

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 BZD 8.16

$4.61 $4.61

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 BZD 5.38

$4.78 $4.78

-43.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 BZD 4.67

$2.87 $2.87

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 BZD 3.16

$2.69 $2.69

-41.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 BZD 9.11

$19.14 $19.14

-76.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 BZD 19.28

$19.63 $19.63

-50.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 BZD 4.97

$3.32 $3.32

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BZD 4.10

$4.19 $4.19

-51.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 BZD 8.19

$3.02 $3.02

35.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 BZD 10.20

$3.04 $3.04

67.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 BZD 5.16

$1.13 $1.13

128.32%

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

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

$34.5K $34.5K

-68.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

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

$378 BZD 757

$232 $232

62.83%

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

$48.70 BZD 97.4

$71.0 $71.0

-31.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.90 BZD 53.8

$67.7 $67.7

-60.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.89 BZD 49.79

$115 $115

-78.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.43 BZD 4.87

$76.8 $76.8

-96.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 BZD 10.24

$22.41 $22.41

-77.15%

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

$63.9 BZD 128

$3,606 $3,606

-98.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$662 BZD 1,325

$68.7K $68.7K

-99.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.89 BZD 65.8

$79.3 $79.3

-58.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 BZD 50.1

$51.4 $51.4

-51.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.60 BZD 75.2

$121 $121

-68.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.98 BZD 76.0

$140 $140

-72.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BZD 696

$4,555 $4,555

-92.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 BZD 384

$3,040 $3,040

-93.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 BZD 1,145

$9,742 $9,742

-94.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 BZD 646

$5,331 $5,331

-93.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 BZD 1,670

$5,096 $5,096

-83.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

6.89

66.91%

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

Last update for Belize City: October 31, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belize City

$454 36.8%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 18.3% $83

Groceries & Markets

Belize City

$318 25.8%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 78.4% $249

Accommodation & Living

Belize City

$192 15.6%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 1484% $2.8K

Eating Out

Belize City

$153 12.4%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 178% $272

Clothing & Footwear

Belize City

$60 4.9%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 194% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Belize City

$35 2.9%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 356% $125

Getting Around

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 671% $144

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 $348 in Belize City and $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Belize City vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $567 per month, with Belize City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belize City

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

1 h ahead of Belize City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,999

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belize City New York, NY 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belize City
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Belize City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $348 in Belize City versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,234 per month in Belize City versus $4,906 in New York, NY – Belize City is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Belize City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Belize City wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.