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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $679 per month in Haiti vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

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

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

Haiti is roughly 56% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 HTG 1,675

$9.69 ₡4,413

32.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 HTG 11.8K

$59.8 ₡27.2K

50.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 HTG 1,288

$9.65 ₡4,398

2.07%

Cappuccino

$2.48 HTG 324

$3.99 ₡1,817

-37.84%

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

$2.25 HTG 294

$2.18 ₡993

3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 194

$1.64 ₡745

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 HTG 667

$3.05 ₡1,387

67.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 HTG 889

$4.42 ₡2,012

53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 HTG 221

$2.05 ₡934

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HTG 315

$3.21 ₡1,464

-24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 HTG 404

$2.49 ₡1,133

24.10%

Eggs

$3.00 HTG 392

$3.29 ₡1,497

-8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 HTG 1,043

$9.11 ₡4,148

-12.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 HTG 1,212

$9.70 ₡4,417

-4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 HTG 1,451

$13.19 ₡6,010

-15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 HTG 473

$4.53 ₡2,063

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 HTG 207

$1.57 ₡715

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 HTG 114

$3.20 ₡1,460

-72.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 HTG 240

$2.94 ₡1,339

-37.41%

Potato (1kg)

$6.27 HTG 820

$2.99 ₡1,361

109.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 HTG 269

$2.71 ₡1,235

-23.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 HTG 117

$1.03 ₡469

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 HTG 137

$2.50 ₡1,138

-58.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 HTG 525

$5.05 ₡2,300

-20.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 HTG 1,494

$16.18 ₡7,372

-29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 HTG 188

$2.39 ₡1,091

-40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 HTG 247

$2.77 ₡1,260

-32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 HTG 51.2

$0.95 ₡431

-58.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.09 HTG 2,629

$48.97 ₡22.3K

-58.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.31

$1.86 ₡848

-80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 HTG 54.5

$2.01 ₡915

-79.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.24 HTG 2,649

$7.75 ₡3,532

161.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 HTG 147

$1.50 ₡684

-25.33%

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

$37.8K HTG 4.9M

$36.8K ₡16.8M

2.64%

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

$38.4K HTG 5.0M

$35.5K ₡16.2M

8.22%

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

$122 HTG 15.9K

$87.5 ₡39.8K

39.27%

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

$48.76 HTG 6,382

$25.82 ₡11.8K

88.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 HTG 26.3K

$54.5 ₡24.8K

268.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 HTG 8,798

$56.4 ₡25.7K

19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 HTG 2,394

$29.13 ₡13.3K

-37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 HTG 1,325

$9.14 ₡4,164

10.83%

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

$98.7 HTG 12.9K

$555 ₡252.8K

-82.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,876 HTG 899.9K

$9,828 ₡4.5M

-30.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 HTG 11.2K

$73.9 ₡33.7K

15.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 HTG 10.1K

$54.2 ₡24.7K

42.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 HTG 17.0K

$119 ₡54.0K

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 HTG 21.2K

$102 ₡46.5K

58.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 HTG 129.8K

$822 ₡374.6K

20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$854 HTG 111.8K

$549 ₡250.1K

55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,334 HTG 305.4K

$1,469 ₡669.1K

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 HTG 246.0K

$1,023 ₡466.2K

83.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,703 HTG 222.8K

$2,327 ₡1.1M

-26.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,326 HTG 173.5K

$1,612 ₡734.5K

-17.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,498 HTG 196.0K

$1,076 ₡490.3K

39.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

42.45%

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

Last update for Haiti: April 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,085 in Haiti vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. 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

Haiti vs Costa Rica: 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.