Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $555 in Belize versus $1,660 in Costa Rica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $806 in Belize versus $2,621 in Costa Rica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,056 in Belize versus $3,581 in Costa Rica.

Living in Belize costs about 67% less than in Costa Rica on average.

Belize (60% below) and Costa Rica (20% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 BZD 17.75

$10.89 ₡4,874

-18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.36 BZD 78.7

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-29.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 BZD 20.18

$10.81 ₡4,839

-6.66%

Cappuccino

$4.17 BZD 8.35

$4.52 ₡2,021

-7.74%

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

$1.39 BZD 2.78

$2.45 ₡1,095

-43.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BZD 2.83

$1.89 ₡844

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 BZD 5.20

$3.30 ₡1,476

-21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 BZD 8.01

$4.61 ₡2,064

-13.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 BZD 7.08

$2.42 ₡1,085

46.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 BZD 4.18

$3.60 ₡1,613

-41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 BZD 8.10

$2.70 ₡1,207

50.00%

Eggs

$2.84 BZD 5.68

$4.01 ₡1,796

-29.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 BZD 21.96

$10.21 ₡4,568

7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 BZD 17.22

$10.38 ₡4,647

-17.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 BZD 21.24

$13.83 ₡6,190

-23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 BZD 11.45

$5.08 ₡2,272

12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 BZD 2.98

$1.75 ₡782

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 BZD 4.76

$3.52 ₡1,575

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 BZD 8.09

$3.23 ₡1,446

25.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.12 BZD 8.24

$3.34 ₡1,496

23.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 BZD 6.23

$3.18 ₡1,422

-2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 BZD 5.50

$1.08 ₡483

154.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 BZD 2.90

$2.68 ₡1,200

-45.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 BZD 10.29

$5.57 ₡2,495

-7.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 BZD 29.98

$15.23 ₡6,817

-1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 BZD 4.16

$2.67 ₡1,196

-22.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BZD 5.42

$3.33 ₡1,490

-18.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 BZD 8.15

$1.09 ₡486

273.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.51 BZD 45.03

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-65.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 BZD 6.83

$2.20 ₡983

55.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.96 BZD 7.92

$1.94 ₡870

104.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 BZD 10.10

$8.87 ₡3,969

-43.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 BZD 3.94

$1.60 ₡718

23.12%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

-67.71%

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

$21.1K BZD 42.2K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-41.89%

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

$153 BZD 307

$95.2 ₡42.6K

61.01%

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

$49.07 BZD 98.2

$31.50 ₡14.1K

55.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 BZD 122

$59.7 ₡26.7K

1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.15 BZD 70.3

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-47.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 BZD 12.94

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-72.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 BZD 18.13

$8.21 ₡3,676

10.48%

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

$63.7 BZD 127

$726 ₡324.9K

-91.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$667 BZD 1,333

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-94.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.49 BZD 99.0

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-33.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.82 BZD 83.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 BZD 229

$125 ₡56.0K

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.28 BZD 88.6

$107 ₡47.7K

-58.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 BZD 1,131

$884 ₡395.5K

-36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 BZD 1,023

$641 ₡286.7K

-20.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 BZD 2,367

$1,743 ₡779.9K

-32.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 BZD 1,258

$1,168 ₡522.7K

-46.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,440 BZD 2,880

$2,400 ₡1.1M

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,587 BZD 3,175

$1,671 ₡748.0K

-5.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,099 BZD 2,198

$1,083 ₡484.5K

1.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

9.56

20.29%

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

Last update for Belize: September 5, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $335 in Belize, $816 in Costa Rica. Capital cities: $439 in Belmopan vs $960 in San Jose.

National salary averages: $1,272 in Belize, $1,106 in Costa Rica. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 144% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 179% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1300% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 15% higher in Belize, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belize.

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 vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $949 per month in Belize and $1,575 in Costa Rica, there's a 66% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Belize: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Costa Rica is consistently higher than in Belize across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Belize, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Costa Rica it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Belize wins on affordability; Costa Rica may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.