Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro, Belize and Belize City

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize City: $1,234 a month against $1,602 in San Pedro, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index

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San Pedro

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,602

/mo nomad

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pedro and in Belize City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,602 in San Pedro versus $1,234 in Belize City.

San Pedro $1,602
Belize City $1,234

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in San Pedro versus $1,795 in Belize City.

San Pedro $2,720
Belize City $1,795

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,837 in San Pedro versus $2,356 in Belize City.

San Pedro $3,837
Belize City $2,356

Living in San Pedro is roughly 30% more expensive than in Belize City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Pedro is 19% above, Belize City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 BZD 18.78

$6.35 BZD 12.70

47.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 BZD 59.0

$49.23 BZD 98.5

-40.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 BZD 19.18

Cappuccino

$2.99 BZD 5.98

$3.57 BZD 7.13

-16.25%

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

$1.41 BZD 2.82

$1.65 BZD 3.30

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 BZD 3.02

$1.46 BZD 2.93

3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BZD 5.86

$2.48 BZD 4.97

18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 BZD 7.85

$2.97 BZD 5.95

31.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.15 BZD 10.29

$3.64 BZD 7.28

41.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 BZD 4.82

$2.66 BZD 5.32

-9.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 BZD 11.23

$3.43 BZD 6.86

63.85%

Eggs

$1.86 BZD 3.71

$3.66 BZD 7.31

-49.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 BZD 23.82

$6.67 BZD 13.33

78.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 BZD 26.58

$9.52 BZD 19.04

39.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 BZD 21.52

$8.93 BZD 17.87

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$14.48 BZD 28.96

$2.72 BZD 5.44

432.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 BZD 2.23

$1.81 BZD 3.61

-38.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 BZD 5.52

Tomato (1kg)

$7.64 BZD 15.29

$3.01 BZD 6.01

153.82%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 BZD 13.40

$4.08 BZD 8.16

64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 BZD 7.51

$2.69 BZD 5.38

39.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BZD 2.44

$2.33 BZD 4.67

-47.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 BZD 3.83

$1.58 BZD 3.16

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 BZD 9.11

Wine (Bottle)

$23.56 BZD 47.13

$9.64 BZD 19.28

144.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 BZD 7.39

$2.49 BZD 4.97

48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 BZD 7.80

$2.05 BZD 4.10

90.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 BZD 8.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 BZD 10.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.94 BZD 9.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 BZD 3.28

$2.58 BZD 5.16

-36.43%

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

$10.7K BZD 21.4K

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

$174 BZD 349

$378 BZD 757

-53.94%

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

$48.70 BZD 97.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.90 BZD 53.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.53 BZD 59.1

$24.89 BZD 49.79

18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.43 BZD 4.87

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 BZD 10.24

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

$63.9 BZD 128

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$662 BZD 1,325

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.89 BZD 65.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 BZD 50.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.60 BZD 75.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.98 BZD 76.0

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 BZD 2,008

$348 BZD 696

188.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 BZD 1,485

$192 BZD 384

286.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 BZD 5,622

$573 BZD 1,145

390.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 BZD 4,015

$323 BZD 646

521.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,688 BZD 5,376

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 BZD 3,176

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 BZD 1,670

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

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

Last update for San Pedro: November 2, 2026

Last update for Belize City: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$454 36.8%

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$318 25.8%

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$192 15.6%

Eating Out

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$153 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$60 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$35 2.9%

Getting Around

San Pedro

–

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in San Pedro and $348 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in San Pedro vs $49 in Belize City. Groceries flip the comparison at $486 vs $318, with Belize City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇿 San Pedro

🇧🇿 Belize City

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

Same time as San Pedro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,456

63,999

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Pedro Belize City 53 km

From you

San Pedro
Belize City

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

San Pedro vs Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in San Pedro. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,404 in San Pedro and $1,851 in Belize City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,004 in San Pedro versus $348 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,602 per month in San Pedro versus $1,234 in Belize City – Belize City is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in San Pedro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Belize City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.