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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $314 per month in Honduras vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $496 per month in Honduras vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $677 per month in Honduras vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Honduras is roughly 81% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Honduras sits 77% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 HNL 199

$10.89 ₡4,874

-31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.18 HNL 837

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-44.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 HNL 218

$10.81 ₡4,839

-25.07%

Cappuccino

$2.39 HNL 64.2

$4.52 ₡2,021

-47.12%

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

$1.02 HNL 27.39

$2.45 ₡1,095

-58.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 HNL 24.17

$1.89 ₡844

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 HNL 48.48

$3.30 ₡1,476

-45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 HNL 92.5

$4.61 ₡2,064

-25.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 HNL 38.72

$2.42 ₡1,085

-40.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 HNL 53.2

$3.60 ₡1,613

-45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 HNL 40.79

$2.70 ₡1,207

-43.70%

Eggs

$1.74 HNL 46.74

$4.01 ₡1,796

-56.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 HNL 192

$10.21 ₡4,568

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 HNL 155

$10.38 ₡4,647

-44.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 HNL 230

$13.83 ₡6,190

-38.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 HNL 95.6

$5.08 ₡2,272

-29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 HNL 35.30

$1.75 ₡782

-25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 HNL 62.0

$3.52 ₡1,575

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 HNL 43.90

$3.23 ₡1,446

-49.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 HNL 52.0

$3.34 ₡1,496

-41.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 HNL 55.2

$3.18 ₡1,422

-35.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 HNL 26.09

$1.08 ₡483

-10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 HNL 33.58

$2.68 ₡1,200

-53.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 HNL 81.4

$5.57 ₡2,495

-45.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 HNL 272

$15.23 ₡6,817

-33.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 HNL 32.84

$2.67 ₡1,196

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 HNL 41.40

$3.33 ₡1,490

-53.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 HNL 18.47

$1.09 ₡486

-36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 HNL 1,500

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-14.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 HNL 52.4

$2.20 ₡983

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 HNL 38.01

$1.94 ₡870

-26.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 HNL 202

$8.87 ₡3,969

-15.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 HNL 26.88

$1.60 ₡718

-37.50%

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

$22.3K HNL 599.8K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

-31.60%

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

$26.5K HNL 711.7K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-27.07%

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

$127 HNL 3,397

$95.2 ₡42.6K

32.89%

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

$20.54 HNL 551

$31.50 ₡14.1K

-34.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 HNL 1,048

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-34.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 HNL 963

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-45.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 HNL 425

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-32.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 HNL 151

$8.21 ₡3,676

-31.67%

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

$206 HNL 5,534

$726 ₡324.9K

-71.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,454 HNL 92.8K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-72.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 HNL 1,506

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-24.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 HNL 1,004

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 HNL 2,355

$125 ₡56.0K

-29.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 HNL 2,068

$107 ₡47.7K

-27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 HNL 13.3K

$884 ₡395.5K

-43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 HNL 10.9K

$641 ₡286.7K

-36.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 HNL 25.5K

$1,743 ₡779.9K

-45.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 HNL 19.4K

$1,168 ₡522.7K

-38.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,125 HNL 57.1K

$2,400 ₡1.1M

-11.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,088 HNL 29.2K

$1,671 ₡748.0K

-34.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$531 HNL 14.2K

$1,083 ₡484.5K

-50.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.19

9.56

37.97%

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

Last update for Honduras: September 5, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $127 in Honduras vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $455 in Tegucigalpa and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $557 in Honduras 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 543% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 430% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 180% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 99% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Honduras.

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

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

Honduras is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 154% 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 Honduras, contributing to the overall 154% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Honduras, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Honduras 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.