Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Belize

Name: Belize
Address: BZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize: $1,558 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Belize
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Belize Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Belize

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,558 in Belize.

United States $2,734
Belize $1,558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,204 in Belize.

United States $3,985
Belize $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,851 in Belize.

United States $5,235
Belize $2,851

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $18–$1,884 in Belize. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 76% more expensive than in Belize on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, Belize 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$9.16 BZD 18.32

118.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$40.78 BZD 81.6

96.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.16 BZD 20.32

16.14%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.12 BZD 8.23

34.71%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.41 BZD 2.82

88.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.47 BZD 2.95

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.58 BZD 5.16

137.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.94 BZD 7.88

101.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$4.16 BZD 8.32

-75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.06 BZD 4.12

74.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.84 BZD 7.69

17.71%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.94 BZD 5.88

45.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$11.00 BZD 21.99

20.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.67 BZD 17.34

45.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$10.34 BZD 20.69

70.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.36 BZD 12.72

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.50 BZD 3.01

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.55 BZD 5.10

74.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.83 BZD 9.66

-1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$5.11 BZD 10.21

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.56 BZD 7.13

-11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.77 BZD 5.55

-20.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.46 BZD 2.92

60.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$4.37 BZD 8.75

151.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.90 BZD 29.79

1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.08 BZD 4.15

-0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.60 BZD 5.20

45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.93 BZD 7.87

-50.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$22.60 BZD 45.21

162.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.57 BZD 7.15

0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$4.10 BZD 8.21

-54.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$5.03 BZD 10.07

493.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.19 BZD 4.37

-53.42%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$10.5K BZD 21.1K

173.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.0K BZD 41.9K

24.98%

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

$218 $218

$155 BZD 309

40.96%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$48.81 BZD 97.6

27.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$63.0 BZD 126

18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$34.61 BZD 69.2

20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$6.24 BZD 12.47

265.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$8.76 BZD 17.52

67.81%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$63.7 BZD 127

2239.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$677 BZD 1,353

3632.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$54.5 BZD 109

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$43.22 BZD 86.5

-1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$103 BZD 205

-8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$43.92 BZD 87.8

158.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$568 BZD 1,136

192.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$513 BZD 1,026

162.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,171 BZD 2,342

129.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$631 BZD 1,261

243.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$2,705 BZD 5,410

21.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,635 BZD 3,271

51.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,100 BZD 2,199

290.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.5

-43.04%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Belize: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Belize

$513 32.9% 61.9% $834

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Belize

$368 23.6% 11.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Belize

$266 17.1% 24.9% $88

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Belize

$185 11.9% 43.5% $143

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Belize

$110 7.1% 19.8% $27

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Belize

$62 4% 22.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Belize

$52 3.4% 26.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $662 in Belize. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $446 in Belmopan.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $1,278 in Belize. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 145% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 97% more in the United States.

Public transport is 186% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 3.6 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇿 Belize

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

2 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

411,106

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.449 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BZD (1 BZD = 0.449 EUR).

BZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Belize 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Belize

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

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

At $1,558 per month in Belize and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 76% 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 cheaper in Belize: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $662 in Belize. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Belize, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.