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

Name: Belize
Address: BZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,535 in Costa Rica versus $565 in Belize.

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

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

Living in Costa Rica is roughly 172% more expensive than in Belize on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₡4,505

$9.15 BZD 18.30

10.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡26.8K

$33.89 BZD 67.8

77.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 ₡4,516

$7.63 BZD 15.26

32.63%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,738

$3.45 BZD 6.90

13.04%

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

$2.20 ₡982

$1.29 BZD 2.58

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₡743

$1.27 BZD 2.54

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ₡1,367

$2.55 BZD 5.11

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,969

$4.02 BZD 8.05

9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ₡937

$2.91 BZD 5.82

-27.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₡1,437

$1.46 BZD 2.93

120.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,115

$2.60 BZD 5.20

-3.85%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,505

$2.39 BZD 4.78

41.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 ₡4,268

$9.12 BZD 18.24

4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 ₡4,212

$6.39 BZD 12.77

47.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 ₡5,992

$7.09 BZD 14.18

89.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,084

$5.87 BZD 11.74

-20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡700

$1.09 BZD 2.17

44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,428

$1.68 BZD 3.36

90.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,330

$3.05 BZD 6.11

-2.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,329

$3.00 BZD 6.00

-0.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 ₡1,264

$2.44 BZD 4.88

15.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡452

$2.80 BZD 5.60

-63.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,117

$1.21 BZD 2.42

106.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,270

$4.96 BZD 9.93

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 ₡7,200

$15.07 BZD 30.14

7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,047

$2.09 BZD 4.18

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,255

$2.70 BZD 5.41

4.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡452

$2.03 BZD 4.07

-50.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.99 ₡22.3K

$21.09 BZD 42.19

137.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡833

$3.39 BZD 6.78

-44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ₡877

$3.49 BZD 6.98

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,397

$9.78 BZD 19.57

-22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₡645

$1.80 BZD 3.60

-20.00%

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

$36.5K ₡16.3M

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

247.67%

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

$35.4K ₡15.8M

$21.3K BZD 42.5K

66.60%

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

$87.3 ₡38.9K

$134 BZD 267

-34.65%

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

$25.16 ₡11.2K

$50.5 BZD 101

-50.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.7K

$55.7 BZD 111

-4.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ₡25.6K

$34.98 BZD 70.0

64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.74 ₡12.8K

$6.45 BZD 12.89

345.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 ₡4,035

$10.48 BZD 20.97

-13.74%

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

$553 ₡246.7K

$65.0 BZD 130

751.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,994 ₡4.5M

$674 BZD 1,348

1383.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.0K

$37.06 BZD 74.1

93.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.7K

$26.85 BZD 53.7

97.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.0K

$85.7 BZD 171

38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡45.6K

$71.4 BZD 143

43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 ₡360.7K

$413 BZD 827

95.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₡242.5K

$350 BZD 700

55.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 ₡654.2K

$691 BZD 1,382

112.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₡454.0K

$637 BZD 1,275

59.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 ₡1.1M

$1,460 BZD 2,921

64.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,638 ₡730.9K

$1,585 BZD 3,171

3.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ₡476.1K

$1,156 BZD 2,312

-7.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

13.83

-23.86%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belize: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,096 in Costa Rica, $1,412 in Belize. 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

Costa Rica vs Belize: 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.