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

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

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

The cost of living in Haiti is roughly 56% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.11 HTG 1,711

$10.13 ₡4,558

29.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 HTG 11.9K

$59.8 ₡26.9K

52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 HTG 1,282

$9.92 ₡4,463

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.42 HTG 316

$4.06 ₡1,828

-40.39%

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

$2.16 HTG 282

$2.12 ₡953

1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 HTG 192

$1.73 ₡776

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 HTG 649

$2.99 ₡1,347

66.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 HTG 888

$4.50 ₡2,023

51.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 HTG 220

$2.02 ₡910

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 HTG 314

$3.09 ₡1,390

-22.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 HTG 408

$2.43 ₡1,092

28.81%

Eggs

$3.06 HTG 400

$3.32 ₡1,492

-7.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 HTG 1,078

$9.18 ₡4,131

-9.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 HTG 1,185

$9.31 ₡4,191

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 HTG 1,424

$13.22 ₡5,950

-17.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 HTG 453

$4.74 ₡2,131

-26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 HTG 198

$1.61 ₡722

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 HTG 116

$3.25 ₡1,461

-72.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 HTG 250

$2.96 ₡1,330

-35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$6.21 HTG 810

$2.92 ₡1,315

112.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 HTG 262

$2.78 ₡1,249

-27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 HTG 119

$1.02 ₡461

-10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 HTG 136

$2.45 ₡1,104

-57.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 HTG 513

$5.06 ₡2,278

-22.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 HTG 1,522

$16.79 ₡7,557

-30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 HTG 187

$2.30 ₡1,033

-37.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 HTG 246

$2.81 ₡1,263

-33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 HTG 47.51

$1.03 ₡461

-65.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 HTG 2,590

$48.91 ₡22.0K

-59.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 HTG 47.96

$1.81 ₡814

-79.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 HTG 49.72

$2.01 ₡907

-81.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.86 HTG 2,591

$7.68 ₡3,455

158.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 HTG 153

$1.50 ₡676

-22.00%

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

$36.9K HTG 4.8M

$36.2K ₡16.3M

1.86%

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

$37.9K HTG 4.9M

$36.0K ₡16.2M

5.30%

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

$122 HTG 16.0K

$87.9 ₡39.5K

39.27%

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

$49.36 HTG 6,441

$25.69 ₡11.6K

92.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$203 HTG 26.5K

$54.3 ₡24.5K

273.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 HTG 8,873

$56.9 ₡25.6K

19.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 HTG 2,376

$28.68 ₡12.9K

-36.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 HTG 1,285

$9.00 ₡4,048

9.44%

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

$99.9 HTG 13.0K

$556 ₡250.3K

-82.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,013 HTG 915.0K

$10.2K ₡4.6M

-30.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 HTG 11.0K

$73.4 ₡33.0K

15.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.5 HTG 9,975

$53.2 ₡23.9K

43.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 HTG 17.1K

$119 ₡53.5K

10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 HTG 21.6K

$103 ₡46.4K

60.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 HTG 129.2K

$799 ₡359.5K

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 HTG 109.3K

$543 ₡244.3K

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 HTG 297.4K

$1,471 ₡662.1K

54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 HTG 246.1K

$1,055 ₡475.0K

78.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,657 HTG 216.2K

$2,461 ₡1.1M

-32.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,341 HTG 175.0K

$1,640 ₡737.8K

-18.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 HTG 196.0K

$1,084 ₡487.7K

38.58%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,096 in Haiti vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. 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

Haiti vs Costa Rica: 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.