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 $1,540 per month in Costa Rica vs $672 in Haiti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,066 in Haiti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,460 in Haiti, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 129% higher than in Haiti on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 16% above the global median, while Haiti is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,558

$13.11 HTG 1,711

-22.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$91.4 HTG 11.9K

-34.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,463

$9.82 HTG 1,282

1.02%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,828

$2.42 HTG 316

67.77%

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

$2.12 ₡953

$2.16 HTG 282

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡776

$1.47 HTG 192

17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,347

$4.97 HTG 649

-39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,023

$6.81 HTG 888

-33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡910

$1.69 HTG 220

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,390

$2.41 HTG 314

28.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$3.13 HTG 408

-22.36%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,492

$3.06 HTG 400

8.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,131

$8.27 HTG 1,078

11.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,191

$9.08 HTG 1,185

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,950

$10.91 HTG 1,424

21.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,131

$3.47 HTG 453

36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$1.52 HTG 198

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,461

$0.89 HTG 116

265.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,330

$1.91 HTG 250

54.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,315

$6.21 HTG 810

-52.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.01 HTG 262

38.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡461

$0.91 HTG 119

12.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$1.04 HTG 136

135.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,278

$3.94 HTG 513

28.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,557

$11.67 HTG 1,522

43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,033

$1.44 HTG 187

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,263

$1.88 HTG 246

49.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡461

$0.36 HTG 47.51

186.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡22.0K

$19.85 HTG 2,590

146.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡814

$0.37 HTG 47.96

389.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡907

$0.38 HTG 49.72

428.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,455

$19.86 HTG 2,591

-61.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡676

$1.17 HTG 153

28.21%

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

$36.2K ₡16.3M

$36.9K HTG 4.8M

-1.82%

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

$36.0K ₡16.2M

$37.9K HTG 4.9M

-5.04%

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

$87.9 ₡39.5K

$122 HTG 16.0K

-28.20%

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

$25.69 ₡11.6K

$49.36 HTG 6,441

-47.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$203 HTG 26.5K

-73.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$68.0 HTG 8,873

-16.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

$18.21 HTG 2,376

57.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,048

$9.85 HTG 1,285

-8.63%

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

$556 ₡250.3K

$99.9 HTG 13.0K

456.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$7,013 HTG 915.0K

44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡33.0K

$84.6 HTG 11.0K

-13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.9K

$76.5 HTG 9,975

-30.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.5K

$131 HTG 17.1K

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.4K

$166 HTG 21.6K

-37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡359.5K

$991 HTG 129.2K

-19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡244.3K

$838 HTG 109.3K

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡662.1K

$2,279 HTG 297.4K

-35.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡475.0K

$1,886 HTG 246.1K

-44.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$1,657 HTG 216.2K

48.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡737.8K

$1,341 HTG 175.0K

22.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡487.7K

$1,502 HTG 196.0K

-27.84%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Haiti: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $752 in Costa Rica vs $328 in Haiti. For reference, capital cities sit at $873 in San Jose and $910 in Port-au-Prince.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $1,096 in Haiti. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% 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 44% 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 44% 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.