Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize: $1,558 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Belize
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Belize Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index

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🇧🇿 Belize

$1,558

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belize and in Costa Rica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,558 in Belize versus $1,821 in Costa Rica.

Belize $1,558
Costa Rica $1,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Belize versus $2,773 in Costa Rica.

Belize $2,204
Costa Rica $2,773

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,851 in Belize versus $3,725 in Costa Rica.

Belize $2,851
Costa Rica $3,725

Internal cost variation is higher in Belize: monthly costs span $18 to $1,884, compared to $1,004–$2,114 in Costa Rica. City choice carries more weight in Belize.

Living in Belize costs about 14% less than in Costa Rica on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belize 14% above, Costa Rica 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 BZD 18.32

$11.26 ₡5,085

-18.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.78 BZD 81.6

$54.5 ₡24.6K

-25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BZD 20.32

$11.02 ₡4,975

-7.80%

Cappuccino

$4.12 BZD 8.23

$4.43 ₡1,999

-7.00%

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

$1.41 BZD 2.82

$2.34 ₡1,055

-39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BZD 2.95

$1.84 ₡829

-20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 BZD 5.16

$3.26 ₡1,473

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 BZD 7.88

$4.55 ₡2,054

-13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.16 BZD 8.33

$2.45 ₡1,105

69.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 BZD 4.12

$3.56 ₡1,608

-42.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 BZD 7.69

$2.76 ₡1,245

39.13%

Eggs

$2.94 BZD 5.88

$3.97 ₡1,794

-25.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 BZD 21.99

$10.47 ₡4,728

5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 BZD 17.34

$9.98 ₡4,507

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 BZD 20.69

$13.91 ₡6,278

-25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$6.36 BZD 12.72

$5.06 ₡2,283

25.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 BZD 3.01

$1.69 ₡764

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 BZD 5.10

$3.45 ₡1,558

-26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 BZD 9.66

$3.23 ₡1,460

49.54%

Potato (1kg)

$5.11 BZD 10.21

$3.44 ₡1,555

48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 BZD 7.13

$3.25 ₡1,465

9.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 BZD 5.55

$1.09 ₡492

154.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 BZD 2.92

$2.67 ₡1,204

-45.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 BZD 8.75

$5.38 ₡2,427

-18.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 BZD 29.80

$15.50 ₡6,996

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 BZD 4.15

$2.75 ₡1,241

-24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 BZD 5.20

$3.30 ₡1,489

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 BZD 7.87

$1.13 ₡509

247.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.60 BZD 45.21

$65.5 ₡29.6K

-65.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 BZD 7.15

$2.17 ₡979

64.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 BZD 8.21

$2.02 ₡913

102.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 BZD 10.07

$8.94 ₡4,036

-43.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 BZD 4.37

$1.61 ₡726

36.02%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

$34.5K ₡15.6M

-69.48%

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

$21.0K BZD 41.9K

$37.4K ₡16.9M

-43.87%

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

$155 BZD 309

$94.9 ₡42.9K

62.87%

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

$48.81 BZD 97.6

$31.42 ₡14.2K

55.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 BZD 126

$58.6 ₡26.4K

7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.61 BZD 69.2

$65.7 ₡29.7K

-47.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.24 BZD 12.47

$22.20 ₡10.0K

-71.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 BZD 17.52

$8.10 ₡3,656

8.15%

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

$63.7 BZD 127

$722 ₡325.9K

-91.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$677 BZD 1,353

$12.9K ₡5.8M

-94.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 BZD 109

$75.5 ₡34.1K

-27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 BZD 86.5

$56.4 ₡25.5K

-23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 BZD 205

$128 ₡57.9K

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.92 BZD 87.9

$108 ₡48.8K

-59.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 BZD 1,136

$960 ₡433.4K

-40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 BZD 1,026

$708 ₡319.6K

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 BZD 2,342

$1,749 ₡789.4K

-33.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 BZD 1,261

$1,215 ₡548.5K

-48.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 BZD 5,411

$2,656 ₡1.2M

1.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,635 BZD 3,271

$1,839 ₡830.1K

-11.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,100 BZD 2,199

$1,058 ₡477.8K

3.88%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belize

$513 32.9%

Costa Rica

$708 38.9% 38% $195

Groceries & Markets

Belize

$368 23.6%

Costa Rica

$380 20.9% 3.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belize

$266 17.1%

Costa Rica

$185 10.2% 30.6% $82

Eating Out

Belize

$185 11.9%

Costa Rica

$218 12% 17.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Belize

$110 7.1%

Costa Rica

$166 9.1% 50.8% $56

Getting Around

Belize

$62 4%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 31.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Belize

$52 3.4%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 57.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $662 in Belize, $855 in Costa Rica. Capital cities: $446 in Belmopan vs $1,164 in San Jose.

National salary averages: $1,278 in Belize, $1,087 in Costa Rica. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 42% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 205% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 18% higher in Belize, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belize.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belize

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Belize

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

411,106

5,044,197

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.446 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belize Costa Rica 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Belize
Costa Rica

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 vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,558 per month in Belize and $1,821 in Costa Rica, Belize comes out about 14% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Belize: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $855 in Costa Rica and $662 in Belize. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Belize wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.