Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roatan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roatan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,212 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,980 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,749 in Roatan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than in Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Roatan is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$7.35 HNL 197

79.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$40.22 HNL 1,076

33.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$8.89 HNL 238

7.42%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$3.69 HNL 98.8

0.81%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.24 HNL 33.19

26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.70 HNL 18.74

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.22 HNL 59.5

43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$4.12 HNL 110

12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.30 HNL 34.79

31.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$3.24 HNL 86.7

-19.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$2.14 HNL 57.3

-11.68%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$1.98 HNL 53.0

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$10.82 HNL 289

-8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$6.77 HNL 181

21.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$17.97 HNL 481

-34.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.13 HNL 30.11

59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$1.09 HNL 29.10

89.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$0.58 HNL 15.38

239.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$1.07 HNL 28.56

93.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$1.08 HNL 28.86

100.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$1.02 HNL 27.41

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$2.94 HNL 78.8

-63.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$2.98 HNL 79.6

38.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$7.54 HNL 202

131.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$4.10 HNL 110

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.04 HNL 54.5

-34.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$9.91 HNL 265

-44.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$1.05 HNL 28.10

24.76%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$30.3K HNL 809.8K

-21.56%

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

$41.14 MX$720

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

$27.74 MX$485

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$98.4 HNL 2,633

-69.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$60.4 HNL 1,614

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

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

$437 MX$7,638

$425 HNL 11.4K

2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$4,118 HNL 110.1K

153.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$40.11 HNL 1,073

45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$20.18 HNL 540

127.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$39.47 HNL 1,056

157.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$50.9 HNL 1,361

109.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$844 HNL 22.6K

19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$550 HNL 14.7K

15.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$741 HNL 19.8K

190.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$1,248 HNL 33.4K

-0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$1,873 HNL 50.1K

106.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$1,335 HNL 35.7K

56.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$492 HNL 13.2K

117.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-37.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Roatan: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $844 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 118% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $264 per month, with Roatan cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Roatan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roatan differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,212 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $844 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $425 in Roatan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roatan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,212 in Roatan versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roatan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roatan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Roatan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Roatan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.