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: $1,543 in Costa Rica versus $565 in Belize.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,324 in Costa Rica versus $818 in Belize.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,105 in Costa Rica versus $1,070 in Belize.

Living in Costa Rica is roughly 173% more expensive than Belize on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 ₡4,535

$9.16 BZD 18.31

8.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 ₡27.0K

$33.25 BZD 66.5

78.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₡4,432

$7.56 BZD 15.12

28.84%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₡1,791

$3.59 BZD 7.18

9.75%

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

$2.11 ₡959

$1.24 BZD 2.48

70.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡752

$1.22 BZD 2.44

35.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₡1,327

$2.45 BZD 4.90

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,996

$3.99 BZD 7.98

10.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡940

$2.83 BZD 5.67

-26.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,441

$1.46 BZD 2.91

117.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,098

$2.70 BZD 5.40

-10.74%

Eggs

$3.34 ₡1,518

$2.34 BZD 4.69

42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₡4,202

$9.24 BZD 18.47

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 ₡4,276

$6.33 BZD 12.66

48.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₡6,169

$6.88 BZD 13.77

97.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 ₡2,037

$5.65 BZD 11.29

-20.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡708

$1.09 BZD 2.18

43.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,527

$1.72 BZD 3.43

95.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,401

$3.14 BZD 6.28

-1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,316

$2.92 BZD 5.84

-1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 ₡1,301

$2.53 BZD 5.07

13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡467

$2.80 BZD 5.60

-63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₡1,145

$1.15 BZD 2.29

119.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₡2,227

$4.95 BZD 9.90

-1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,359

$15.03 BZD 30.06

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,086

$1.98 BZD 3.96

20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,264

$2.71 BZD 5.41

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₡428

$2.01 BZD 4.03

-53.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.22 ₡22.4K

$21.53 BZD 43.06

128.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡848

$3.54 BZD 7.09

-47.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡916

$3.43 BZD 6.86

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,461

$10.03 BZD 20.06

-24.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡686

$1.79 BZD 3.59

-15.64%

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

$36.3K ₡16.5M

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

244.88%

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

$35.7K ₡16.2M

$21.4K BZD 42.9K

66.44%

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

$88.7 ₡40.4K

$132 BZD 263

-32.56%

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

$25.67 ₡11.7K

$49.98 BZD 100.0

-48.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ₡24.5K

$57.5 BZD 115

-6.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₡26.2K

$34.82 BZD 69.7

65.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.09 ₡13.2K

$6.43 BZD 12.87

352.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,095

$10.25 BZD 20.50

-12.20%

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

$544 ₡247.4K

$64.5 BZD 129

743.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.6M

$672 BZD 1,344

1389.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 ₡33.8K

$36.31 BZD 72.6

104.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡24.2K

$26.65 BZD 53.3

99.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡54.5K

$87.4 BZD 175

37.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₡45.8K

$69.1 BZD 138

45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₡363.1K

$420 BZD 839

90.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₡243.0K

$355 BZD 710

50.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ₡686.5K

$690 BZD 1,380

118.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡473.5K

$637 BZD 1,273

63.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 ₡1.1M

$1,439 BZD 2,878

65.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡728.9K

$1,583 BZD 3,165

1.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ₡482.9K

$1,137 BZD 2,275

-6.65%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Belize: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $776 in Costa Rica, $269 in Belize. Capital cities: $879 in San Jose vs $453 in Belmopan.

National salary averages: $1,098 in Costa Rica, $1,391 in Belize. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 188% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 219% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 333% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 27% higher in Belize, giving Belize stronger purchasing power.

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 $947 per month in Belize and $1,609 in Costa Rica, there's a 70% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Belize is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.