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 $553 per month in Honduras vs $1,532 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $880 per month in Honduras vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,206 per month in Honduras vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Honduras is roughly 64% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Honduras sits 59% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 HNL 210

$9.80 ₡4,400

-19.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.52 HNL 870

$59.3 ₡26.6K

-45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 HNL 216

$9.77 ₡4,388

-17.40%

Cappuccino

$2.39 HNL 64.0

$3.98 ₡1,788

-39.95%

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

$1.09 HNL 29.17

$2.19 ₡985

-50.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 HNL 27.76

$1.71 ₡766

-39.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 HNL 51.1

$2.92 ₡1,314

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 HNL 87.1

$4.53 ₡2,034

-28.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 HNL 41.23

$2.00 ₡900

-23.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 HNL 51.8

$3.17 ₡1,423

-38.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 HNL 38.37

$2.42 ₡1,086

-40.91%

Eggs

$2.01 HNL 53.8

$3.30 ₡1,483

-39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 HNL 189

$9.08 ₡4,078

-22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 HNL 141

$9.29 ₡4,171

-43.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 HNL 289

$13.33 ₡5,986

-18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 HNL 89.5

$4.62 ₡2,077

-27.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 HNL 37.66

$1.55 ₡697

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 HNL 77.2

$3.24 ₡1,457

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 HNL 44.81

$3.02 ₡1,355

-44.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 HNL 45.18

$3.03 ₡1,362

-44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 HNL 58.7

$2.80 ₡1,258

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 HNL 23.86

$0.97 ₡436

-8.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 HNL 34.51

$2.50 ₡1,121

-48.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 HNL 73.8

$5.05 ₡2,269

-45.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 HNL 273

$16.04 ₡7,206

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 HNL 31.64

$2.29 ₡1,029

-48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 HNL 45.40

$2.71 ₡1,216

-37.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.77

$0.98 ₡439

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.84 HNL 985

$50.4 ₡22.6K

-26.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 HNL 92.2

$1.85 ₡832

86.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 HNL 38.51

$2.00 ₡898

-28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 HNL 188

$7.76 ₡3,485

-9.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 HNL 27.33

$1.50 ₡676

-32.00%

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

$19.2K HNL 513.4K

$36.7K ₡16.5M

-47.63%

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

$19.5K HNL 521.2K

$35.8K ₡16.1M

-45.59%

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

$123 HNL 3,277

$87.0 ₡39.1K

40.85%

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

$10.97 HNL 293

$25.15 ₡11.3K

-56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.64 HNL 1,274

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.04 HNL 1,044

$56.8 ₡25.5K

-31.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 HNL 454

$28.99 ₡13.0K

-41.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 HNL 153

$8.73 ₡3,920

-34.71%

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

$218 HNL 5,828

$550 ₡246.9K

-60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,379 HNL 90.4K

$9,899 ₡4.4M

-65.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.26 HNL 1,130

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-41.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 HNL 930

$53.2 ₡23.9K

-34.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 HNL 2,067

$119 ₡53.3K

-34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 HNL 2,142

$102 ₡45.7K

-21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 HNL 11.6K

$817 ₡367.1K

-47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 HNL 9,326

$549 ₡246.5K

-36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 HNL 22.0K

$1,481 ₡665.4K

-44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 HNL 17.4K

$1,037 ₡465.7K

-37.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 HNL 57.3K

$2,451 ₡1.1M

-12.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 HNL 29.2K

$1,588 ₡713.2K

-31.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$547 HNL 14.6K

$1,053 ₡473.0K

-48.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.44

10.53

8.64%

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

Last update for Honduras: July 22, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $107 in Honduras vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $281 in Tegucigalpa and $864 in San Jose.

Average salary: $561 in Honduras 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 601% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 86% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 96% 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.