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: $565 in Belize versus $1,535 in Costa Rica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $816 in Belize versus $2,322 in Costa Rica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,067 in Belize versus $3,108 in Costa Rica.

Living in Belize costs about 63% less than in Costa Rica on average.

Belize (58% below) and Costa Rica (15% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 BZD 18.30

$10.10 ₡4,505

-9.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.89 BZD 67.8

$60.1 ₡26.8K

-43.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 BZD 15.26

$10.12 ₡4,516

-24.60%

Cappuccino

$3.45 BZD 6.90

$3.90 ₡1,738

-11.54%

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

$1.29 BZD 2.58

$2.20 ₡982

-41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BZD 2.54

$1.67 ₡743

-23.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 BZD 5.11

$3.06 ₡1,367

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 BZD 8.05

$4.41 ₡1,969

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 BZD 5.82

$2.10 ₡937

38.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$3.22 ₡1,437

-54.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 BZD 5.20

$2.50 ₡1,115

4.00%

Eggs

$2.39 BZD 4.78

$3.37 ₡1,505

-29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 BZD 18.24

$9.57 ₡4,268

-4.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 BZD 12.77

$9.44 ₡4,212

-32.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 BZD 14.18

$13.43 ₡5,992

-47.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 BZD 11.74

$4.67 ₡2,084

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 BZD 2.17

$1.57 ₡700

-30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BZD 3.36

$3.20 ₡1,428

-47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 BZD 6.11

$2.98 ₡1,330

2.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 BZD 6.00

$2.98 ₡1,329

0.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 BZD 4.88

$2.83 ₡1,264

-13.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 BZD 5.60

$1.01 ₡452

177.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 BZD 2.42

$2.50 ₡1,117

-51.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.96 BZD 9.93

$5.09 ₡2,270

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 BZD 30.14

$16.14 ₡7,200

-6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 BZD 4.18

$2.35 ₡1,047

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 BZD 5.41

$2.81 ₡1,255

-3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 BZD 4.07

$1.01 ₡452

100.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.09 BZD 42.19

$49.99 ₡22.3K

-57.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 BZD 6.78

$1.87 ₡833

81.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 BZD 6.98

$1.97 ₡877

77.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.78 BZD 19.57

$7.61 ₡3,397

28.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 BZD 3.60

$1.44 ₡645

25.00%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-71.24%

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

$21.3K BZD 42.5K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-39.98%

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

$134 BZD 267

$87.3 ₡38.9K

53.02%

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

$50.5 BZD 101

$25.16 ₡11.2K

100.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 BZD 111

$53.0 ₡23.7K

5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.98 BZD 70.0

$57.4 ₡25.6K

-39.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 BZD 12.89

$28.74 ₡12.8K

-77.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 BZD 20.97

$9.04 ₡4,035

15.93%

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

$65.0 BZD 130

$553 ₡246.7K

-88.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$674 BZD 1,348

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-93.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.06 BZD 74.1

$71.6 ₡32.0K

-48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.85 BZD 53.7

$53.2 ₡23.7K

-49.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 BZD 171

$119 ₡53.0K

-27.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BZD 143

$102 ₡45.6K

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 BZD 827

$809 ₡360.7K

-48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 BZD 700

$544 ₡242.5K

-35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 BZD 1,382

$1,466 ₡654.2K

-52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 BZD 1,275

$1,018 ₡454.0K

-37.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,460 BZD 2,921

$2,398 ₡1.1M

-39.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 BZD 3,171

$1,638 ₡730.9K

-3.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 BZD 2,312

$1,067 ₡476.1K

8.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.83

10.53

31.34%

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

Last update for Belize: July 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $267 in Belize, $750 in Costa Rica. Capital cities: $446 in Belmopan vs $860 in San Jose.

National salary averages: $1,412 in Belize, $1,096 in Costa Rica. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 219% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 333% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 29% 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 $939 per month in Belize and $1,603 in Costa Rica, there's a 71% 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.