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 $668 per month in Haiti vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Haiti vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,480 per month in Haiti vs $3,113 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Haiti is roughly 57% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Haiti sits 50% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.79 HTG 1,669

$9.92 ₡4,484

28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 HTG 12.2K

$60.2 ₡27.2K

55.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 HTG 1,269

$9.80 ₡4,429

-0.71%

Cappuccino

$2.47 HTG 322

$4.11 ₡1,859

-39.90%

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

$2.22 HTG 290

$2.10 ₡951

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 HTG 194

$1.70 ₡770

-12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 HTG 644

$3.01 ₡1,359

64.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 HTG 906

$4.39 ₡1,986

58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 HTG 226

$2.01 ₡909

-13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 HTG 330

$3.10 ₡1,401

-18.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 HTG 393

$2.45 ₡1,105

22.86%

Eggs

$3.06 HTG 399

$3.37 ₡1,524

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 HTG 1,037

$9.13 ₡4,127

-12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 HTG 1,198

$9.46 ₡4,275

-2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 HTG 1,439

$13.21 ₡5,970

-16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 HTG 458

$4.54 ₡2,052

-22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 HTG 195

$1.61 ₡729

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 HTG 119

$3.19 ₡1,440

-71.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 HTG 237

$3.07 ₡1,387

-40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$6.11 HTG 797

$2.98 ₡1,346

105.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 HTG 261

$2.72 ₡1,228

-26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 HTG 125

$1.01 ₡458

-4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 HTG 137

$2.44 ₡1,102

-56.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 HTG 524

$5.04 ₡2,277

-20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 HTG 1,479

$15.95 ₡7,205

-28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 HTG 177

$2.35 ₡1,063

-42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 HTG 246

$2.72 ₡1,228

-30.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 HTG 51.8

$0.97 ₡438

-58.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.37 HTG 2,657

$49.77 ₡22.5K

-59.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.3

$1.89 ₡855

-79.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 HTG 50.1

$1.94 ₡879

-80.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.74 HTG 2,575

$7.78 ₡3,513

153.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 HTG 147

$1.51 ₡683

-25.17%

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

$37.7K HTG 4.9M

$37.3K ₡16.9M

0.96%

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

$37.6K HTG 4.9M

$35.7K ₡16.1M

5.25%

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

$122 HTG 16.0K

$86.7 ₡39.2K

41.07%

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

$49.25 HTG 6,424

$25.28 ₡11.4K

94.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$205 HTG 26.7K

$54.7 ₡24.7K

274.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 HTG 8,820

$57.8 ₡26.1K

16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 HTG 2,389

$29.25 ₡13.2K

-37.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 HTG 1,307

$9.10 ₡4,112

10.11%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$542 ₡244.9K

-81.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,030 HTG 917.0K

$10.0K ₡4.5M

-29.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 HTG 11.1K

$73.6 ₡33.3K

16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 HTG 9,891

$54.3 ₡24.5K

39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 HTG 17.1K

$119 ₡53.9K

9.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 HTG 21.7K

$104 ₡46.9K

60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 HTG 130.3K

$799 ₡360.9K

25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 HTG 110.7K

$545 ₡246.3K

55.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 HTG 308.2K

$1,482 ₡669.5K

59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 HTG 240.6K

$1,037 ₡468.4K

77.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,676 HTG 218.7K

$2,403 ₡1.1M

-30.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,318 HTG 172.0K

$1,603 ₡724.1K

-17.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,483 HTG 193.4K

$1,079 ₡487.7K

37.37%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $328 in Haiti vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $918 in Port-au-Prince and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,094 in Haiti vs $1,089 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 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

Haiti vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haiti is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% 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 46% 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.