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: $2,643 in United States versus $565 in Belize.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $818 in Belize.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $1,070 in Belize.

Living in United States is roughly 368% more expensive than Belize on average.

United States (97% above) and Belize (58% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$9.16 BZD 18.31

118.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$33.25 BZD 66.5

128.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$7.56 BZD 15.12

51.06%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.59 BZD 7.18

50.14%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.24 BZD 2.48

105.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.22 BZD 2.44

67.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.45 BZD 4.90

150.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.99 BZD 7.98

79.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.83 BZD 5.67

-63.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.46 BZD 2.91

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.70 BZD 5.40

75.19%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$2.34 BZD 4.69

87.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$9.24 BZD 18.47

38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$6.33 BZD 12.66

96.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$6.88 BZD 13.77

138.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$5.65 BZD 11.29

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.09 BZD 2.18

51.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.72 BZD 3.43

166.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.14 BZD 6.28

56.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.92 BZD 5.84

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.53 BZD 5.07

23.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.80 BZD 5.60

-19.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.15 BZD 2.29

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$4.95 BZD 9.90

99.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$15.03 BZD 30.06

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.98 BZD 3.96

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.71 BZD 5.41

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.01 BZD 4.03

23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$21.53 BZD 43.06

201.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.54 BZD 7.09

8.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.43 BZD 6.86

-48.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$10.03 BZD 20.06

204.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.79 BZD 3.59

-46.37%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

189.42%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.4K BZD 42.9K

23.07%

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

$204 $204

$132 BZD 263

55.16%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$49.98 BZD 100.0

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$57.5 BZD 115

23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$34.82 BZD 69.7

34.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$6.43 BZD 12.87

244.01%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$10.25 BZD 20.50

35.02%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$64.5 BZD 129

2045.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$672 BZD 1,344

3279.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$36.31 BZD 72.6

45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$26.65 BZD 53.3

61.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$87.4 BZD 175

3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$69.1 BZD 138

65.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$420 BZD 839

320.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$355 BZD 710

310.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$690 BZD 1,380

310.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$637 BZD 1,273

278.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$1,439 BZD 2,878

128.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,583 BZD 3,165

67.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$1,137 BZD 2,275

285.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

13.83

-52.93%

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Belize: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $269 in Belize. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $453 in Belmopan.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $1,391 in Belize. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 509% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 356% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 224% higher in United States, giving Belize 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

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

At $947 per month in Belize and $3,212 in United States, there's a 239% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Belize is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.