Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Belize Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Belize

Name: Belize
Address: BZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $555 in Belize.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $806 in Belize.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $1,056 in Belize.

Living in United States is roughly 373% more expensive than in Belize on average.

United States (90% above) and Belize (60% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$8.87 BZD 17.75

123.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$39.36 BZD 78.7

100.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$10.09 BZD 20.18

20.81%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.17 BZD 8.35

34.05%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.39 BZD 2.78

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.41 BZD 2.83

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.60 BZD 5.20

125.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.01 BZD 8.01

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.54 BZD 7.08

-69.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.09 BZD 4.18

76.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.05 BZD 8.10

15.06%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.84 BZD 5.68

47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$10.98 BZD 21.96

16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$8.61 BZD 17.22

44.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.62 BZD 21.24

59.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.72 BZD 11.45

-8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.49 BZD 2.98

11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.38 BZD 4.76

81.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.04 BZD 8.09

22.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.12 BZD 8.24

-31.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.11 BZD 6.23

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.75 BZD 5.50

-20.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.45 BZD 2.90

55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$5.14 BZD 10.29

101.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$14.99 BZD 29.98

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.08 BZD 4.16

0.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.71 BZD 5.42

34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.07 BZD 8.15

-41.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$22.51 BZD 45.03

186.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.41 BZD 6.83

3.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.96 BZD 7.92

-53.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$5.05 BZD 10.10

500.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.97 BZD 3.94

-49.24%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

237.01%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.1K BZD 42.2K

22.49%

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

$222 $222

$153 BZD 307

44.97%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$49.07 BZD 98.2

24.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$60.8 BZD 122

22.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$35.15 BZD 70.3

26.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$6.47 BZD 12.94

245.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$9.07 BZD 18.13

65.71%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$63.7 BZD 127

2147.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$667 BZD 1,333

3782.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$49.49 BZD 99.0

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$41.82 BZD 83.7

3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$114 BZD 229

-20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$44.28 BZD 88.6

156.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$565 BZD 1,131

188.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$511 BZD 1,023

159.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,183 BZD 2,367

120.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$629 BZD 1,258

250.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$1,440 BZD 2,880

130.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$1,587 BZD 3,175

67.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$1,099 BZD 2,198

291.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.5

-46.00%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Belize: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $335 in Belize. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $439 in Belmopan.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $1,272 in Belize. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 379% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 295% more in United States.

Public transport is 2600% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 256% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belize.

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

United States vs Belize: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $949 per month in Belize and $3,142 in United States, there's a 231% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Belize: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Belize across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Belize, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Belize wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.