Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haiti and Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,473 in Haiti, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Haiti
Costa Rica
🇭🇹 Haiti
$2,473
/mo nomad
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haiti and in Costa Rica

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Haiti and in Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,473 per month in Haiti vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Haiti $2,473
  • Costa Rica $1,821

A couple spends around $3,524 per month in Haiti vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Haiti $3,524
  • Costa Rica $2,773

A family of three spends $4,575 per month in Haiti vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Haiti $4,575
  • Costa Rica $3,725

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in Haiti ($1,315–$2,168), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Haiti is about 36% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both Haiti and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Haiti by 82%, Costa Rica by 34%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.34 HTG 1,871
$11.26 ₡5,082
27.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.8 HTG 11.9K
$54.5 ₡24.6K
66.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.99 HTG 1,956
$11.02 ₡4,973
36.03%
Cappuccino
$2.75 HTG 358
$4.43 ₡1,998
-37.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 HTG 243
$2.34 ₡1,055
-20.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 HTG 200
$1.84 ₡828
-16.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.35 HTG 828
$3.26 ₡1,472
94.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.02 HTG 1,047
$4.55 ₡2,053
76.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 HTG 295
$2.45 ₡1,104
-7.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.47 HTG 322
$3.56 ₡1,608
-30.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.78 HTG 363
$2.76 ₡1,245
0.72%
Eggs
$4.06 HTG 529
$3.97 ₡1,793
2.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.06 HTG 1,052
$10.47 ₡4,726
-23.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.09 HTG 795
$9.98 ₡4,505
-38.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 HTG 1,439
$13.91 ₡6,275
-20.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 HTG 542
$5.06 ₡2,282
-17.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 HTG 240
$1.69 ₡763
8.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.16 HTG 152
$3.45 ₡1,557
-66.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.73 HTG 356
$3.23 ₡1,459
-15.48%
Potato (1kg)
$6.14 HTG 801
$3.44 ₡1,554
78.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 HTG 293
$3.25 ₡1,465
-30.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 HTG 178
$1.09 ₡492
25.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 HTG 135
$2.67 ₡1,203
-61.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.08 HTG 532
$5.38 ₡2,426
-24.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.32 HTG 1,477
$15.50 ₡6,993
-26.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 HTG 221
$2.75 ₡1,241
-38.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 HTG 279
$3.30 ₡1,488
-35.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 HTG 47.46
$1.13 ₡509
-68.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.39 HTG 2,660
$65.5 ₡29.6K
-68.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 HTG 51.5
$2.17 ₡979
-82.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 HTG 69.8
$2.02 ₡912
-73.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.22 HTG 2,638
$8.94 ₡4,034
126.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 HTG 152
$1.61 ₡726
-27.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.8K HTG 4.9M
$34.5K ₡15.6M
9.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K HTG 4.5M
$37.4K ₡16.9M
-7.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 HTG 17.5K
$94.9 ₡42.8K
41.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$47.67 HTG 6,220
$31.42 ₡14.2K
51.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$200 HTG 26.2K
$58.6 ₡26.4K
242.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.89 HTG 5,857
$65.7 ₡29.6K
-31.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.69 HTG 2,308
$22.20 ₡10.0K
-20.32%
Cinema Ticket
$9.98 HTG 1,302
$8.10 ₡3,654
23.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.2 HTG 12.8K
$722 ₡325.8K
-86.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,927 HTG 903.8K
$12.9K ₡5.8M
-46.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2 HTG 11.4K
$75.5 ₡34.1K
15.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$74.4 HTG 9,712
$56.4 ₡25.5K
31.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 HTG 17.7K
$128 ₡57.9K
5.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$169 HTG 22.0K
$108 ₡48.8K
56.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,547 HTG 201.8K
$960 ₡433.2K
61.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,248 HTG 162.9K
$708 ₡319.5K
76.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,297 HTG 299.8K
$1,749 ₡789.0K
31.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 HTG 242.3K
$1,215 ₡548.3K
52.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,665 HTG 217.2K
$2,656 ₡1.2M
-37.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,325 HTG 172.9K
$1,839 ₡829.7K
-27.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Haiti
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,500 HTG 195.8K
$1,058 ₡477.6K
41.74%
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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Haiti
$1.2K
Costa Rica
$708 43.3% $540
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haiti
$382
Costa Rica
$185 51.6% $197
Groceries & Markets
Haiti
$289
Costa Rica
$380 31.7% $91
Eating Out
Haiti
$254
Costa Rica
$218 14% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Haiti
$210
Costa Rica
$166 21% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Haiti
$65
Costa Rica
$82 26.3% $17
Getting Around
Haiti
$25
Costa Rica
$82 231% $57

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $976 in Haiti vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $904 in Port-au-Prince and $1,164 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,072 in Haiti vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Haiti.

Dining out costs 67% more in Haiti.

Public transport is 158% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Good to know
🇭🇹 Haiti
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
12:21 12:21 PM
2 h behind Haiti
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,981,229
5,044,197
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to HTG – Haitian Gourde Converter

Haitian Gourde exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 HTG (1,000 HTG = 7.66 USD). 1 EUR = 145 HTG (1,000 HTG = 6.88 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Haiti Costa Rica 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Haiti
  • Costa Rica

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Haiti?
Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or in Haiti?
Housing costs more in Haiti: a central one-bedroom averages $976 versus $855 in Costa Rica.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Haiti?
Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Haiti vs other spots: cost of living compared

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