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

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

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

The cost of living in Haiti is roughly 65% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 HTG 1,916

$10.89 ₡4,874

34.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 HTG 11.7K

$55.8 ₡25.0K

60.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 HTG 1,969

$10.81 ₡4,839

39.78%

Cappuccino

$2.72 HTG 354

$4.52 ₡2,021

-39.82%

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

$1.94 HTG 253

$2.45 ₡1,095

-20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 HTG 201

$1.89 ₡844

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 HTG 809

$3.30 ₡1,476

88.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 HTG 1,045

$4.61 ₡2,064

73.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 HTG 285

$2.42 ₡1,085

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 HTG 324

$3.60 ₡1,613

-31.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 HTG 360

$2.70 ₡1,207

2.22%

Eggs

$4.04 HTG 526

$4.01 ₡1,796

0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 HTG 1,097

$10.21 ₡4,568

-17.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 HTG 774

$10.38 ₡4,647

-42.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 HTG 1,426

$13.83 ₡6,190

-20.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 HTG 556

$5.08 ₡2,272

-16.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 HTG 239

$1.75 ₡782

5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 HTG 147

$3.52 ₡1,575

-67.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 HTG 362

$3.23 ₡1,446

-13.93%

Potato (1kg)

$6.37 HTG 830

$3.34 ₡1,496

90.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 HTG 283

$3.18 ₡1,422

-31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 HTG 178

$1.08 ₡483

26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 HTG 136

$2.68 ₡1,200

-60.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 HTG 527

$5.57 ₡2,495

-27.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 HTG 1,518

$15.23 ₡6,817

-23.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 HTG 213

$2.67 ₡1,196

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 HTG 275

$3.33 ₡1,490

-36.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 HTG 48.02

$1.09 ₡486

-66.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.14 HTG 2,624

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-69.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.46

$2.20 ₡983

-83.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 HTG 63.3

$1.94 ₡870

-74.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 HTG 2,648

$8.87 ₡3,969

129.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 HTG 159

$1.60 ₡718

-23.75%

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

$37.8K HTG 4.9M

$32.7K ₡14.6M

15.65%

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

$35.2K HTG 4.6M

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-3.16%

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

$137 HTG 17.8K

$95.2 ₡42.6K

43.45%

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

$47.83 HTG 6,232

$31.50 ₡14.1K

51.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 HTG 26.2K

$59.7 ₡26.7K

236.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 HTG 5,917

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.55 HTG 2,286

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-25.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 HTG 1,300

$8.21 ₡3,676

21.44%

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

$100 HTG 13.0K

$726 ₡324.9K

-86.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,110 HTG 926.3K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-44.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 HTG 11.3K

$74.6 ₡33.4K

15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 HTG 9,697

$53.6 ₡24.0K

38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 HTG 17.7K

$125 ₡56.0K

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 HTG 22.2K

$107 ₡47.7K

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 HTG 199.1K

$884 ₡395.5K

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 HTG 168.2K

$641 ₡286.7K

101.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 HTG 298.8K

$1,743 ₡779.9K

31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 HTG 242.2K

$1,168 ₡522.7K

59.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 HTG 218.7K

$2,400 ₡1.1M

-30.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,321 HTG 172.0K

$1,671 ₡748.0K

-20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,467 HTG 191.1K

$1,083 ₡484.5K

35.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.5

9.56

72.59%

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

Last update for Haiti: September 6, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,092 in Haiti vs $1,106 in Costa Rica. 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

Haiti vs Costa Rica: 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.