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

Name: Haiti
Address: HT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $668 in Haiti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,074 in Haiti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,480 in Haiti, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 130% more than Haiti on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 14% above the global median, while Haiti is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₡4,484

$12.79 HTG 1,669

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.2K

$93.4 HTG 12.2K

-35.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₡4,429

$9.73 HTG 1,269

0.72%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,859

$2.47 HTG 322

66.40%

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

$2.10 ₡951

$2.22 HTG 290

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡770

$1.49 HTG 194

14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,359

$4.94 HTG 644

-39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,986

$6.95 HTG 906

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡909

$1.73 HTG 226

16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$2.53 HTG 330

22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$3.01 HTG 393

-18.60%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,524

$3.06 HTG 399

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₡4,127

$7.95 HTG 1,037

14.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 ₡4,275

$9.18 HTG 1,198

3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ₡5,970

$11.04 HTG 1,439

19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,052

$3.51 HTG 458

29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡729

$1.49 HTG 195

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$0.91 HTG 119

250.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$1.82 HTG 237

68.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,346

$6.11 HTG 797

-51.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$2.00 HTG 261

36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$0.96 HTG 125

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$1.05 HTG 137

132.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₡2,277

$4.02 HTG 524

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 ₡7,205

$11.34 HTG 1,479

40.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,063

$1.36 HTG 177

72.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$1.88 HTG 246

44.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₡438

$0.40 HTG 51.8

142.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 ₡22.5K

$20.37 HTG 2,657

144.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₡855

$0.39 HTG 51.3

384.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡879

$0.38 HTG 50.1

410.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,513

$19.74 HTG 2,575

-60.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡683

$1.13 HTG 147

33.63%

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

$37.3K ₡16.9M

$37.7K HTG 4.9M

-0.95%

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

$35.7K ₡16.1M

$37.6K HTG 4.9M

-4.99%

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

$86.7 ₡39.2K

$122 HTG 16.0K

-29.12%

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

$25.28 ₡11.4K

$49.25 HTG 6,424

-48.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$205 HTG 26.7K

-73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.1K

$67.6 HTG 8,820

-14.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 ₡13.2K

$18.32 HTG 2,389

59.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 ₡4,112

$10.02 HTG 1,307

-9.18%

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

$542 ₡244.9K

$101 HTG 13.2K

436.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.5M

$7,030 HTG 917.0K

42.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 ₡33.3K

$85.5 HTG 11.1K

-13.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$75.8 HTG 9,891

-28.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$131 HTG 17.1K

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₡46.9K

$167 HTG 21.7K

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.9K

$999 HTG 130.3K

-20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₡246.3K

$849 HTG 110.7K

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ₡669.5K

$2,363 HTG 308.2K

-37.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 ₡468.4K

$1,845 HTG 240.6K

-43.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₡1.1M

$1,676 HTG 218.7K

43.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡724.1K

$1,318 HTG 172.0K

21.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 ₡487.7K

$1,483 HTG 193.4K

-27.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

-29.80%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Last update for Haiti: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $777 in Costa Rica vs $328 in Haiti. For reference, capital cities sit at $880 in San Jose and $918 in Port-au-Prince.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $1,094 in Haiti. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 137% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 73% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Costa Rica.

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 Haiti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haiti is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Haiti, contributing to the overall 46% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Haiti, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Haiti is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.