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 $551 per month in Honduras vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $876 per month in Honduras vs $2,326 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,200 per month in Honduras vs $3,116 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Honduras is roughly 64% cheaper than 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.

Honduras has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,229) than Costa Rica ($1,137–$2,043), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Honduras.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 HNL 199

$9.72 ₡4,431

-23.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.16 HNL 882

$59.2 ₡27.0K

-43.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 HNL 217

$9.80 ₡4,468

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.40 HNL 63.7

$3.93 ₡1,792

-38.93%

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

$1.09 HNL 28.85

$2.17 ₡988

-49.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 HNL 26.57

$1.71 ₡780

-41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 HNL 50.5

$3.05 ₡1,389

-37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 HNL 85.8

$4.49 ₡2,047

-28.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HNL 39.57

$2.02 ₡920

-26.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 HNL 50.8

$3.14 ₡1,431

-39.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 HNL 38.76

$2.41 ₡1,101

-39.42%

Eggs

$2.01 HNL 53.4

$3.39 ₡1,546

-40.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 HNL 194

$9.41 ₡4,290

-22.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 HNL 141

$9.35 ₡4,261

-43.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 HNL 283

$13.59 ₡6,195

-21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 HNL 89.4

$4.47 ₡2,039

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 HNL 36.93

$1.60 ₡729

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 HNL 77.2

$3.33 ₡1,520

-12.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 HNL 44.49

$3.05 ₡1,392

-45.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 HNL 45.19

$3.04 ₡1,388

-44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 HNL 58.9

$2.71 ₡1,235

-18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 HNL 22.27

$0.98 ₡449

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 HNL 34.35

$2.54 ₡1,157

-49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.64 HNL 70.2

$5.06 ₡2,308

-47.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 HNL 262

$16.34 ₡7,451

-39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 HNL 31.72

$2.31 ₡1,052

-48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 HNL 45.09

$2.83 ₡1,292

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 HNL 16.51

$0.95 ₡434

-34.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.11 HNL 987

$48.79 ₡22.2K

-23.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 HNL 90.7

$1.79 ₡818

90.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 HNL 38.10

$1.95 ₡888

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 HNL 190

$7.73 ₡3,526

-7.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.30

$1.52 ₡692

-30.26%

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

$19.5K HNL 517.3K

$37.4K ₡17.0M

-47.92%

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

$19.7K HNL 522.7K

$35.6K ₡16.2M

-44.81%

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

$119 HNL 3,166

$89.2 ₡40.6K

33.56%

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

$10.83 HNL 288

$25.68 ₡11.7K

-57.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.05 HNL 1,251

$54.3 ₡24.8K

-13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 HNL 1,026

$56.0 ₡25.5K

-31.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.28 HNL 459

$29.40 ₡13.4K

-41.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 HNL 155

$9.20 ₡4,196

-36.41%

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

$217 HNL 5,771

$559 ₡254.9K

-61.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,365 HNL 89.5K

$9,839 ₡4.5M

-65.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.00 HNL 1,117

$72.0 ₡32.8K

-41.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.91 HNL 928

$54.0 ₡24.6K

-35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 HNL 2,052

$121 ₡55.2K

-36.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 HNL 2,140

$104 ₡47.3K

-22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 HNL 11.4K

$794 ₡362.1K

-46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 HNL 9,341

$547 ₡249.3K

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 HNL 22.1K

$1,466 ₡668.6K

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 HNL 17.6K

$1,046 ₡477.1K

-36.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 HNL 34.4K

$2,328 ₡1.1M

-44.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 HNL 25.0K

$1,604 ₡731.6K

-41.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 HNL 14.7K

$1,115 ₡508.3K

-50.37%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $108 in Honduras vs $778 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $280 in Tegucigalpa and $871 in San Jose.

Average salary: $556 in Honduras vs $1,113 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 620% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 82% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 100% higher in Costa Rica, giving Honduras stronger purchasing power.

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 159% 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 159% 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.