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 $550 per month in Honduras vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $879 per month in Honduras vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,207 per month in Honduras vs $3,113 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 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 HNL 199

$9.92 ₡4,549

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.70 HNL 872

$60.2 ₡27.6K

-45.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 HNL 219

$9.80 ₡4,494

-16.33%

Cappuccino

$2.33 HNL 62.2

$4.11 ₡1,886

-43.31%

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

$1.13 HNL 30.03

$2.10 ₡964

-46.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 HNL 26.12

$1.70 ₡781

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 HNL 52.1

$3.01 ₡1,379

-35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 HNL 85.3

$4.39 ₡2,015

-27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 HNL 39.88

$2.01 ₡922

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 HNL 53.6

$3.10 ₡1,421

-35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 HNL 38.12

$2.45 ₡1,121

-41.63%

Eggs

$2.01 HNL 53.7

$3.37 ₡1,546

-40.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.96 HNL 185

$9.13 ₡4,187

-23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 HNL 140

$9.46 ₡4,337

-44.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 HNL 288

$13.21 ₡6,057

-18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 HNL 89.8

$4.54 ₡2,082

-25.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 HNL 39.21

$1.61 ₡740

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 HNL 78.8

$3.19 ₡1,461

-7.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 HNL 44.48

$3.07 ₡1,407

-45.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 HNL 45.21

$2.98 ₡1,365

-42.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 HNL 59.2

$2.72 ₡1,246

-18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 HNL 23.01

$1.01 ₡465

-14.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 HNL 34.49

$2.44 ₡1,118

-47.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 HNL 73.5

$5.04 ₡2,311

-45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 HNL 257

$15.95 ₡7,310

-39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 HNL 31.72

$2.35 ₡1,079

-49.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 HNL 45.68

$2.72 ₡1,246

-37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 HNL 15.99

$0.97 ₡444

-38.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.22 HNL 965

$49.77 ₡22.8K

-27.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 HNL 93.7

$1.89 ₡868

86.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 HNL 36.64

$1.94 ₡891

-29.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 HNL 190

$7.78 ₡3,564

-8.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 HNL 27.53

$1.51 ₡693

-31.79%

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

$19.5K HNL 520.3K

$37.3K ₡17.1M

-47.73%

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

$19.5K HNL 519.8K

$35.7K ₡16.4M

-45.41%

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

$122 HNL 3,246

$86.7 ₡39.8K

40.44%

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

$11.09 HNL 296

$25.28 ₡11.6K

-56.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.35 HNL 1,235

$54.7 ₡25.1K

-15.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 HNL 1,033

$57.8 ₡26.5K

-32.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 HNL 462

$29.25 ₡13.4K

-40.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 HNL 152

$9.10 ₡4,172

-37.36%

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

$216 HNL 5,747

$542 ₡248.5K

-60.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,377 HNL 90.0K

$10.0K ₡4.6M

-66.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.72 HNL 1,112

$73.6 ₡33.7K

-43.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.39 HNL 917

$54.3 ₡24.9K

-36.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 HNL 2,053

$119 ₡54.7K

-35.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 HNL 2,131

$104 ₡47.6K

-22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 HNL 11.3K

$799 ₡366.2K

-46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 HNL 9,319

$545 ₡249.9K

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 HNL 21.9K

$1,482 ₡679.3K

-44.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 HNL 17.0K

$1,037 ₡475.2K

-38.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,114 HNL 56.3K

$2,403 ₡1.1M

-12.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 HNL 29.4K

$1,603 ₡734.7K

-31.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 HNL 14.1K

$1,079 ₡494.8K

-50.92%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $108 in Honduras vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $277 in Tegucigalpa and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $538 in Honduras vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 619% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 93% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 102% 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 163% 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 163% 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.