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 $679 in Haiti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,067 in Haiti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,455 in Haiti, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 126% more than Haiti on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Haiti is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,413

$12.80 HTG 1,675

-24.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$90.3 HTG 11.8K

-33.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,398

$9.85 HTG 1,288

-2.03%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,817

$2.48 HTG 324

60.89%

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

$2.18 ₡993

$2.25 HTG 294

-3.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡745

$1.48 HTG 194

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,387

$5.10 HTG 667

-40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,012

$6.79 HTG 889

-34.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡934

$1.69 HTG 221

21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,464

$2.41 HTG 315

33.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,133

$3.09 HTG 404

-19.42%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,497

$3.00 HTG 392

9.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,148

$7.97 HTG 1,043

14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,417

$9.26 HTG 1,212

4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡6,010

$11.09 HTG 1,451

18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,063

$3.62 HTG 473

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡715

$1.59 HTG 207

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,460

$0.87 HTG 114

267.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,339

$1.84 HTG 240

59.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,361

$6.27 HTG 820

-52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,235

$2.06 HTG 269

31.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$0.89 HTG 117

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,138

$1.04 HTG 137

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,300

$4.01 HTG 525

25.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,372

$11.41 HTG 1,494

41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,091

$1.43 HTG 188

67.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,260

$1.88 HTG 247

47.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡431

$0.39 HTG 51.2

143.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$20.09 HTG 2,629

143.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡848

$0.36 HTG 47.31

416.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡915

$0.42 HTG 54.5

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,532

$20.24 HTG 2,649

-61.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡684

$1.12 HTG 147

33.93%

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

$36.8K ₡16.8M

$37.8K HTG 4.9M

-2.57%

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

$35.5K ₡16.2M

$38.4K HTG 5.0M

-7.59%

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

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$122 HTG 15.9K

-28.20%

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

$25.82 ₡11.8K

$48.76 HTG 6,382

-47.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$201 HTG 26.3K

-72.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$67.2 HTG 8,798

-16.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.3K

$18.30 HTG 2,394

59.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,164

$10.13 HTG 1,325

-9.77%

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

$555 ₡252.8K

$98.7 HTG 12.9K

462.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

$6,876 HTG 899.9K

42.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.7K

$85.7 HTG 11.2K

-13.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.7K

$77.0 HTG 10.1K

-29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡54.0K

$130 HTG 17.0K

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.5K

$162 HTG 21.2K

-37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡374.6K

$992 HTG 129.8K

-17.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡250.1K

$854 HTG 111.8K

-35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡669.1K

$2,334 HTG 305.4K

-37.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡466.2K

$1,880 HTG 246.0K

-45.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$1,703 HTG 222.8K

36.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡734.5K

$1,326 HTG 173.5K

21.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡490.3K

$1,498 HTG 196.0K

-28.14%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Haiti: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $328 in Haiti. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $899 in Port-au-Prince.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $1,085 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 70% 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 40% 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 40% 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.