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 $1,660 per month in Costa Rica vs $584 in Haiti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,621 per month in Costa Rica vs $918 in Haiti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,581 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,252 in Haiti, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 184% higher than in Haiti on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 20% above the global median, while Haiti is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₡4,874

$14.70 HTG 1,916

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$89.8 HTG 11.7K

-37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,839

$15.11 HTG 1,969

-28.46%

Cappuccino

$4.52 ₡2,021

$2.72 HTG 354

66.18%

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

$2.45 ₡1,095

$1.94 HTG 253

26.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₡844

$1.54 HTG 201

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,476

$6.21 HTG 809

-46.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₡2,064

$8.02 HTG 1,045

-42.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$2.19 HTG 285

10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$2.48 HTG 324

45.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 ₡1,207

$2.76 HTG 360

-2.17%

Eggs

$4.01 ₡1,796

$4.04 HTG 526

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₡4,568

$8.42 HTG 1,097

21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,647

$5.94 HTG 774

74.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ₡6,190

$10.94 HTG 1,426

26.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,272

$4.26 HTG 556

19.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₡782

$1.84 HTG 239

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 ₡1,575

$1.13 HTG 147

211.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,446

$2.78 HTG 362

16.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,496

$6.37 HTG 830

-47.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,422

$2.17 HTG 283

46.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.37 HTG 178

-21.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$1.05 HTG 136

155.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,495

$4.05 HTG 527

37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 ₡6,817

$11.65 HTG 1,518

30.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,196

$1.64 HTG 213

62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₡1,490

$2.11 HTG 275

57.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡486

$0.37 HTG 48.02

194.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$20.14 HTG 2,624

224.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₡983

$0.36 HTG 47.46

511.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡870

$0.49 HTG 63.3

295.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡3,969

$20.33 HTG 2,648

-56.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.22 HTG 159

31.15%

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

$32.7K ₡14.6M

$37.8K HTG 4.9M

-13.53%

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

$36.3K ₡16.3M

$35.2K HTG 4.6M

3.26%

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

$95.2 ₡42.6K

$137 HTG 17.8K

-30.29%

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

$31.50 ₡14.1K

$47.83 HTG 6,232

-34.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.7K

$201 HTG 26.2K

-70.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ₡29.7K

$45.41 HTG 5,917

46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 ₡10.6K

$17.55 HTG 2,286

34.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 ₡3,676

$9.97 HTG 1,300

-17.65%

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

$726 ₡324.9K

$100 HTG 13.0K

625.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.7M

$7,110 HTG 926.3K

79.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 ₡33.4K

$86.4 HTG 11.3K

-13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$74.4 HTG 9,697

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡56.0K

$136 HTG 17.7K

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.7K

$170 HTG 22.2K

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 ₡395.5K

$1,528 HTG 199.1K

-42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡286.7K

$1,291 HTG 168.2K

-50.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 ₡779.9K

$2,293 HTG 298.8K

-24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₡522.7K

$1,859 HTG 242.2K

-37.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,400 ₡1.1M

$1,679 HTG 218.7K

42.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₡748.0K

$1,321 HTG 172.0K

26.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 ₡484.5K

$1,467 HTG 191.1K

-26.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

16.5

-42.06%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Last update for Haiti: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $816 in Costa Rica vs $326 in Haiti. For reference, capital cities sit at $960 in San Jose and $916 in Port-au-Prince.

Average salary: $1,106 in Costa Rica vs $1,092 in Haiti. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 150% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 165% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 56% 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 47% 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 47% 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.